Question: What echoes within the remaining walls of the Möllering-Villa?
The Möllering-Villa stands here bearing silent witness. It saw love and war. It heard laughter and commands. Once a grand home it now stands partially demolished. Let’s delve into its past.
The Möllering-Villa, also known as Waldhaus Häcklingen, was built in 1906. Berlin architects Konrad Reimer and Friedrich Körte designed it. The style was Heimatschutzstil, a regional architectural style.
In 1907, the Möllering-Villa became a school for girls. Young women from the countryside learned domestic skills. They studied poultry farming, small animal husbandry, vegetable growing, and flower cultivation. From 1917 to 1923, it was part of the Reifensteiner Verband, an association of women’s schools.
Alexander Möllering, director of a local brewery, bought the villa in 1935. That’s when it got its name: Möllering-Villa.
Fast forward to 1945. British troops under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery captured Lüneburg. Initially, Montgomery used a farmer’s property as his headquarters. On April 30, 1945, he moved his headquarters to the Möllering-Villa. Commander of the British 2nd Army, Miles Dempsey also resided here.
Montgomery and his staff relocated to Tactical Headquarters on Timeloberg. But the Möllering-Villa remained significant. On May 3, 1945, a German delegation arrived here. Generaladmiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg led them. Großadmiral Dönitz sent them. Dönitz was with the last Reich government. Alwin Wolz, Hamburg’s combat commander, accompanied Friedeburg. They discussed a partial surrender offered by Dönitz. Wolz signed the terms for Hamburg’s surrender in the Möllering-Villa.
The delegation was then sent to Timeloberg. On May 4, 1945, the partial surrender of the Wehrmacht was signed. This included Northwest Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. This event effectively ended the fighting. It prepared the way for the total surrender on May 8, 1945.
From 1964, the Möllering-Villa housed a psychiatric clinic. The clinic moved to Uelzen in 2007. The Landesamt für Denkmalschutz added the Möllering-Villa to the list of protected buildings in 2007 because of its historical significance.
An investor bought the Möllering-Villa in 2012. But the building became dilapidated. It was contaminated with pollutants. Renovation costs were estimated at two to three million euros. A project group formed to save the Waldhaus Häcklingen.
Despite landmark status, the owner requested demolition. He claimed renovation was financially unreasonable. In June 2020, the Landesamt removed the building from the list. The structural significance was deemed insufficient.
A compromise was reached. The historic entrance with the gable was to remain. The building behind the facade would be replaced with a new structure. This would include apartments and a memorial. It would highlight Lüneburg’s role in the final days of World War II.
Demolition began in late 2020. The building was torn down to the masonry gable wall. The dilapidated wooden gable was also removed. In 2023, the investor cancelled the new construction project. The remaining parts of the building will be preserved elsewhere.
Today the remaining Giebelwand of the Möllering-Villa serves as a stark reminder of war and resilience. It connects us to those pivotal moments in history. The Möllering-Villa remains a significant landmark. It embodies Lüneburg’s complex past.