Here stands the Adam-Stegerwald-Haus a testament to history. It wasn’t always a nursing home. Once a grand villa belonging to Philipp II Barthels a wealthy businessman from Barmen. Architect Ottomar Stein designed this beautiful building in the early 20th century.
Later Jakob Kaiser a prominent Zentrumspartei politician bought the Adam-Stegerwald-Haus. He used it as a conference center and a mother-child rest home. It was also used by the German Trade Union Federation. The Adam-Stegerwald-Haus saw significant expansion in 1927 and 1928. Existing structures were demolished to make way for an extension.
A fascinating chapter unfolded in 1930. The Konigswinter Kreis a group of Catholic social ethicists and social scientists met here. They developed a socio-political concept for political Catholicism in Germany. This was before the Nazi period. The Adam-Stegerwald-Haus’s peaceful atmosphere shifted dramatically in May 1933. It was seized by the Deutsche Arbeitsfront DAF.
Under the Nazis the Adam-Stegerwald-Haus became the Robert-Ley-Schule. This was one of two Prussian leadership schools for the DAF. It was later renamed Reichsschulungsburg. Imagine 75 participants attending classes and meetings. The building had impressive facilities including a library and even a smoking room. Rooms were luxurious like a first-class hotel.
The Adam-Stegerwald-Haus played a vital role after World War II. The German Trade Union Federation owned it initially. In the autumn of 1948 it was renamed in honor of Adam Stegerwald. He was a co-founder of Christian trade unions. The CDU CSU parliamentary council used it as their headquarters.
Jakob Kaiser became the Federal Minister for All-German Affairs. The Adam-Stegerwald-Haus became his residence. The Jakob-Kaiser-Stiftung owned the building. They rented it to CDU social committees. The Adam-Stegerwald-Haus hosted the Konigswinter Conferences of the German-English Society. It also housed the Karl-Arnold-Stiftung. Both foundations used it as a conference and guest house. It even served as a public hotel.
The Adam-Stegerwald-Haus closed as a conference center in 2013. The Jakob-Kaiser-Stiftung sold it to a developer. It’s now a nursing home called Kaiserpalais. The building received a major renovation. It even got a new extension. The Adam-Stegerwald-Haus stands as a symbol of Germany’s complex history and enduring legacy. It seamlessly blends its past with the present.