Ready to dive into a story? It is about a place where history and recreation meet. This is the Westbad.
The Westbad in Leipzig stands before you. It is more than just a building. It is a testament to architectural innovation. It embodies community spirit.
Let’s step back in time to the late 1920s. Leipzig was growing. The city needed a modern public bath. Hubert Ritter, Leipzig’s city planning officer, designed the Westbad. Construction started in 1928. It finished in 1930. The cost was three million Reichsmark.
The Westbad quickly became a local hub. It was for leisure and serious competition. The main pool was 25 meters long. It had diving platforms. There was also a teaching pool for beginners. The Westbad also featured shower baths. A medical bathing section catered to health needs. A gymnasium and sauna completed the offerings.
Imagine the excitement during the first competitions in October 1930. Forty local sports clubs participated. They honored Ferdinand Goetz at the Goetz-Schwimmen event. The Westbad became a stage for athletic achievement.
In 1943, Gisela Schöbel-Graß set a world record here. She swam the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:19.80. She was the first woman to break the 1:20 barrier.
The Westbad played other roles over the decades. During the 1950s and 60s, it trained students from the DHfK Leipzig. It also served the local ballet school. A wooden grandstand increased the spectator capacity.
Sadly, public bathing ended in 1989. The Westbad began to decay. Photographer Harald Kirschner documented its decline in the early 1990s. Author Karsten Kruschel proposed turning it into a leisure complex in 1993.
Fortunately, the Westbad was not forgotten. A project team developed a plan for its reuse in 2000. Reconstruction began in 2004. Today, the Westbad has a new life. The Odermannstraße side is an event center. The Marktstraße side houses small businesses. The former teaching pool is still in use.
Look at the building’s architecture. Ritter designed a functional structure. It is made of reinforced concrete. The Odermannstraße facade is unique. It has few windows above ground level. Ritter worried about the evening sun blinding swimmers. It also acted as a noise barrier. Locals nicknamed this facade the “Wailing Wall”. This name came from a poem in the Neue Leipziger Zeitung. They also called the building “Lindenauer Jerusalem.”
Notice the tower on the Marktstraße side. It is capped with a golden clock. The tower is a landmark of Lindenauer Markt.
The Westbad stands as a symbol. It represents Leipzig’s past. It also shows its ability to adapt and innovate. It is a place where memories were made. Today, it is a place where new ones are created.