A magical place on the water near Berlin

Michael Stober:

Although I have a strong interest in history and historic buildings, this project was not something I specifically sought out. I came across this ruin for sale quite by chance and on the advice of a friend. But when I got there, I couldn't let go of the idea of ​​what could happen here. My vision was the real driving force behind what was created here. Sustainability arose inevitably from my many years of experience as a renovator of historic buildings.

The Borsigs were the most important entrepreneurial family in Germany in the mid-19th century and employed more than 8,000 people in Berlin alone. The mechanical engineering company of the pioneer August Borsig supplied practically all of the new railways for the Prussian Empire. His famous “Borsig 1” made him the “locomotive king”. What is impressive is that he was already thinking about sustainability back then.

The company introduced the world's first in-house social insurance and built a bathhouse to improve hygienic conditions for workers. His son Albert acquired the estate in 1866 in order to supply the factory canteens with home-made food and created a model agricultural business that worked with the most modern technologies. From a cattle barn that was air-conditioned with biomass to cooling systems that worked with positive and negative pressure air, he used the most advanced technologies.
There is much more to tell - and I do so regularly! – but the important thing is that even though the estate has a modern interior today, history permeates every corner. Our guests feel this and that is exactly what makes this place so unique and fascinating.