In the early 1930s, from the then government, the starting point was given for the construction of a large complex for the recreation of the German soldiers who were at the front. The special recreation hotel had to accommodate 20,000 leisure-time recreation workers to relax and unwind. In addition, it had to be used occasionally as a hospital.
A design contest has been issued for the construction of the complex and various designs have been proposed. Adolf Hitler already had some preferred architects and eventually Clemens Klotz’s design was chosen.
On May 2, 1936, the German Arbeits Front (DAF) began at the Kraft durch Freude (Kracht door Vreugde) complex. KDF was was a part of the government agency DAF
KDF, was a travel agency of the German government that made it possible to book affordable travel for travel to various destinations in Germany. When a good work was delivered, one was rewarded with a trip. It was possible to book tickets for concerts, opera and various day trips at KDF. At a later stage, a cruise ship was built for KDF (willem gustloff).
All major German companies were involved in the construction of the inhabited complex. The goals of the DAF and KDF were simple, the complex would be ready for use in 1940.
Photos Prora (text goes further under the pictures)
The architect Klotz made a plan for a complex for more than 20,000 men, each guest should be treated the same and every room had sea view. The complex should consist of 4 huge buildings of about 500 meters per building. Total there would be 10,000 double rooms. In addition to the amenities, there will be a pier between restaurants, 2 golf clubs, theater, cinema and a party hall for over 25,000 visitors.
The 10,000 rooms in the complex were all equally large, the size of a single room was 5 by 2.5 meters. Each room had beds, a seating area and a sink. The showers and toilets were at the wings, as were the stairs.
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After the start of the Second World War in 1939, the construction of the complex has been shut down. At that time there were 8 blocks, 1 theater and the quay in roughage. After the beginning of the war, they were further built by prisoners, which have further demolished several buildings.
The inhabited complex is 4.5 kilometers long and from the water the roofs of the buildings can be seen well, from here you get a good idea of how big the complex was and has been. Besides, it is very interesting to see the various aerial photographs of the building, which also give a good impression!
After the war, the Red Army had withdrawn in the building and was used as a barracks, during which time it was still trying to demolish the building. However, there was so much explosion required that these activities were eventually stopped.
It is very interesting to know that Prora has never been used for the purpose for which it was built. In addition, the budget for this complex has never been announced, there was initially 35 million German market, probably around 200 million German D Market Cost. The exact costs have never been announced.
PRORA NOW
At the moment, it is still unclear what will happen to the Prora complex, there are various plans for what are waiting for approval. These are hotels, schools, museums and nightclubs. To date, the future is not yet entirely clear.
It is possible to walk along the various buildings, which is definitely worth the effort. In addition, there are 2 museums located in and around the property. It is also possible to walk a guide along the buildings, the guide gives a lot of ins and outs about the buildings.