Hidden on the slopes of the Ettersberg, the Ettersberg-Siedlung whispers a story of contrasts. This seemingly ordinary village holds a dark past, intertwined with the horrors of Buchenwald concentration camp. The Ettersberg-Siedlung, originally known as “SS-Siedlung II,” was built in the late 1930s. It was intended to house the SS guards of the nearby Buchenwald. Ironically, the very prisoners they guarded were forced to build their homes. The rows of double-story houses and single-family homes stand as a chilling reminder of this exploitation. The Ettersberg-Siedlung’s design reflects a strange juxtaposition. It bears the imprint of Bauhaus architecture, conceived by Bauhaus architect Franz Ehrlich. Ehrlich himself was a Buchenwald prisoner. He was later forced to work in the camp’s construction office under Wolfgang Grosch. This involuntary urban project adds another layer of complexity to the settlement’s history. After World War II, the Ettersberg-Siedlung transformed. More houses were built, and the name changed to Ernst-Thälmann-Siedlung. It wasn’t until 1990 that the village reclaimed its original name, a quiet acknowledgement of its complicated past. Today, the Ettersberg-Siedlung stands as a silent witness to a turbulent history. It’s a place where the stark reality of the past meets the quiet normalcy of the present.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to