Borchert Villa in Szczecin

The villa at Żaglowa 2 stands in the Szczecin district of Dąbie, in the right-bank part of the city. It is listed in the heritage register, but according to the Wikipedia entry its condition today is ruinous, so it is a site to be viewed from the outside and with caution.

Who built it and who lived in it

The villa was built in 1916 or 1917, although the entry also mentions estimates going back to 1913-1914, when the building appeared in address books. It was built by the general contracting firm Mitzlaff and Beitzke, and lived in by Paul Borchert, the director of that firm. The first resident, however, was the master carpenter Ernst Maylahn. The Borchert family had their residence here until 1939, and according to some studies until 1943.

Style

The sources describe the style differently. The Wikipedia entry describes the building as designed in Art Nouveau forms and detail, and the heritage register describes it as Modernist. The building is of brick. Its volume is 3,738.5 m³ and its usable floor area 1,000 m².

After the war

After the Second World War the villa was taken over by the Polish Scouting Association for the Scout Maritime Centre, and in 1959 it was handed over in perpetual lease. After a thorough renovation in the early 1970s, conservation work began in 1987, and in the same year the building was entered in the heritage register. The scouts left the grounds of the villa and the adjoining quay a few years ago. A canoe club operates at the villa's address, and according to the entry a bar is located on the premises.

Practical information

• Address: Żaglowa 2, Szczecin-Dąbie.
• The villa is in poor technical condition, so one should not go inside; from the outside it is viewed from the street.
• The current use and access to the grounds are worth checking before a visit.