Picture this. You are standing before the Kaiserbahnhof Halbe. A magnificent building of red brick. It stands as a testament to a bygone era. An era of emperors and royal hunts.
The Kaiserbahnhof Halbe is more than just a train station. It’s a royal reception building. Built in 1865 for Kaiser Wilhelm I. It served as a private retreat. A place where the emperors could rest. Before embarking on hunting expeditions in the surrounding forests.
Emperor Frederick III and Kaiser Wilhelm II also used this Kaiserbahnhof. They used it between 1865 and 1912. The renowned Berlin architect August Orth designed the building. It was a gift from the Berlin Gorlitz Railway Company to Kaiser Wilhelm I. The building itself is quite unique. The exposed red bricks are accented by horizontal stripes of yellowish clay bricks. Four towers rise from its corners. Each tower features five arched arcades. These arcades overlook both the freestanding area and the railway tracks. An eagle carved from porcelain. Painted red. Crowns the building.
The interior boasts three main rooms. Each features magnificent painted ceilings. The design drawings call them the Vestibule the Emperor’s Waiting Room and the Room for the Attendants. There was also a toilet and closet plus servants’ quarters. In 1920 the Kaiserbahnhof was converted for civilian use. Partition walls and false ceilings were added. This drastically altered the building’s original character.
The Kaiserbahnhof fell into disrepair in the 1990s. However a dedicated restoration project began in 2010. The project aimed to return the building to its 1865 glory. The restoration was extensive. It included removing the 1920 additions repairing the brickwork and rebuilding the towers. The original ceilings with their golden painted stucco are now fully restored. The 1920 additions are gone. The building is now watertight. It has water gas and power. The beautiful garden to the south has also been restored based on the 1865 design. A new building was added to house a cafe. The cafe has a kitchen and lavatories.
The official reopening of the restored Kaiserbahnhof took place on August 18 2019. The event drew many guests. It included Halbe’s deputy mayor and the deputy New Zealand ambassador. It marked the culmination of a decade-long effort. An effort to preserve this piece of German history. Now you can enjoy a cafe in this beautiful and historic Kaiserbahnhof. A true testament to the power of preservation.