30 Nov 2000

German_Scn_News <german_scn_news@hotmail.com>

Construction site full of surprises

Historically protected Villa on
Osterdeich becomes a private
Medical Center

Bremen, Germany
November 28, 2000
Bremer Nachrichten
http://www.bremer-nachrichten.de

by Volker Junck

"I fulfilled my dream," replied doctor and businessman Dr. Jens Koberstein to the question of why he applied first aid to the run-down dump on Osterdeich. After years of neglect, the need for renovation was enormous and topped the purchase price of 2.6 million marks. It has been calculated that almost four million marks will be needed just to restore the historically protected building. On top of that will come the same amount to equip it medically. Koberstein, who had previously drawn up plans in Achim for a private medical center according to an American model, is on a course of expansion on Osterdeich. Seventy percent of the spaces have already been leased to renowned colleagues - from dentist to cosmetic surgeons - from all over Germany. Besides that the management association intends to transfer its office from Syke to Bremen. Before the "Pro Vita Medio" opens for private customers in spring, the renovators will have to take care of some plaster work in the building. Incredible what can be found behind panels and boarded-up walls. Behind one plaster wall, for instance was a painting of a steamship of the north German Lloyd. Junior Heiko Koberstein found encrypted letters, old newspapers, a dusty bottle of shampoo and a clipboard of names from the war era, when the villa had been appropriated by the defense forces as an officers mess.

It was built in neo-Baroque style from 1882 to 1884 by the famous Bremen builder Heinrich Poppe, who also did the Cotton Stock Exchange and outfitted the Upper Assembly hall. The one who commissioned him was a cotton dealer, Labuse, who moved his company office at the time from the House of Riches (today's Treasury Administration) to Osterdeich. In 1924 the real estate together with the neighboring building, number 29, went to the "Klabenversandbecker" Carl Mueller before it was occupied by the Defense Forces in 1939.

In the rapidly changing history of use after the war (under ownership of the Freese family) it was the ship-building office until 1960, until 1970 the Office of Family Welfare, until 1986 a Post apprenticeship home, and until 1992 Caritas comments that immigrants and then up to 90 asylum seekers were housed there. Many Bremen natives still think of it as the "Schalm Villa" of the renowned Bremen automobile importer, who sold it to a Hamburg real estate dealer, thereby unknowingly providing Scientology with a training center.

They moved out in March of this year. So now, after being vacant for months, the renovators are there to remove the sins of the past. Various angels' heads had been drilled through for various lines and the deceptively genuine oak-trimmed ceiling strip was also damaged. Torn-out walls have left behind ugly scars and some rotten beams in the attic had to be replaced. Specialists are trying to restore the original parquet on the ground floor.

Koberstein is in good humor, everything is to be done by spring. He also intends to make the festive Baroque hall with fireplace and chandeliers available for public gatherings, festivities, chamber concerts, open houses and related events.

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