August Horn Villa

The villa at Wojska Polskiego Avenue 70 is one of three wooden residential houses preserved in the centre of Szczecin. It was built in 1871-1872, and the first owner was the merchant August Horn, co-owner of a building company. The building is entered in the heritage register.

Why wood

The villa was built by the building company Westend Stettin Bauverein auf Aktien, owned by Johannes Quistorp. Because it stood in the foreground of the fortress that existed at the time, it was made of materials of low durability, which allowed it to be pulled down or burned quickly if necessary. The building was set on a brick foundation in half-timbered construction and clad on the outside with boards.

Appearance

The body of the building has an irregular plan. The windows are flanked by pilasters set on decorative brackets, and the balcony has a carved balustrade. The façade carries roundels with the images of Ceres and Mercury, and the main entrance is in the gable wall. No stucco decoration, panelling or facets have survived from the interior, the original door and window joinery has been replaced, and the roofing felt on the roof has been replaced with galvanised sheet metal.

Later owners

In the 1870s Horn sold the villa to W. von Wagenheim, in 1892 it was bought by the merchant Hermann Wilcke, and from 1918 F. Wächter lived here. In 1945 it was taken over by the Szczecin authorities, who set up municipal flats in it, and in 1971 it was handed over to the “Polus” Auxiliary Labour Cooperative. According to the Wikipedia entry, it now houses a spa salon and an art gallery.

Nearby stands the Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic.

Practical information

• Address: aleja Wojska Polskiego 70, Szczecin.
• The villa is viewed from outside; the rules for entering the salon and the gallery are set by their operators.