Perched here, overlooking the Weser, stands Villa Wolde a testament to Bremen’s grand past. This isn’t just another pretty building. It is a story etched in stone and timber. It whispers tales of banking tycoons, architectural genius and a city’s evolving identity.
Villa Wolde is a protected cultural monument in Bremen. It is located in the eastern part of the city. You will find it at Osterdeich 64 near Lübecker Straße.
Heinrich August Wolde commissioned this impressive building. He was a private banker from the Schultze & Wolde banking house. From 1896 to 1898, Martin Haller designed the villa. Haller was a renowned architect from Hamburg. Diedrich Tölken, a master builder, executed Haller’s vision.
Notice the villa’s style. It reflects the historicism of the late 19th century. The two to three-story building features a neoclassical design. An additional mezzanine level adds to its grandeur. The columned entrance is particularly striking.
Step inside, in your mind’s eye. Imagine the ground floor hall. A stucco ceiling adorns it. Some of the original wood panelling remains around the base of the walls.
Heinrich August Wolde lived here with his wife and a few servants. His wife remained in the house until 1944. Back then, the Villa Wolde property stretched from Osterdeich to Vor dem Steintor street.
After World War II, the North German Timber Trade Association owned the villa until 1997. Stefan Thews bought it then. After renovations in 1998, he used it for company offices and, for a time, a fitness studio.
Martin Haller’s architectural talent is evident. The restrained facade has striking features. These give it a magnificent appearance. The main entrance faces Lübecker Straße. Four stone columns form a portico around it.
The Wolde family had a knack for finance, art and architecture. Heinrich August Wolde and his brother, Johann Georg Wolde, managed the family bank. It was called Schultze and Wolde.
Today, Villa Wolde still reflects the construction style of the late 19th century. It shows how the upper middle class lived. Stefan Thews owns the villa now and maintains this website about it.
Thews & Clüver was founded in Bremen in the early 1930s. Willy Thews, Stefan Thews’ grandfather, started it. Initially, it was a trading agency for electrotechnical products. It also was an electrical wholesaler. In the 1960s, the company began producing cable fittings. In 1994, Thews & Clüver split and merged. The old company headquarters at Fedelhören was sold.
For a long time, Villa Wolde served as the headquarters for TECE Thews & Clüver GmbH and WSG auditing company. Stefan Thews sold his company in 2006. WSG then took over the vacated spaces.
The Villa Wolde stands as a reminder. It reminds us of Bremen’s rich architectural history. Its location on the Osterdeich offers beautiful views of the Weser. It is close to Bremen’s old city and the Steintor district. The building is a testament to the vision of Heinrich August Wolde and the talent of Martin Haller.