Old Kurhaus (spa center)
The history of the Kurhaus (spa center) reflects the history of health tourism in Bad Berneck: the original building was soon too small for the many visitors to the town and was replaced with a prestigious building and repeatedly expanded over the years. This was the entertainment center of the town, but dancing took place not only here but in many other venues around Bad Berneck. Quotes and photographs of resort guests illustrate the spa boom of the postwar period as well as the affection that the guests showed towards the town.
Tip: watch a film about the development of spa tourism at QR 23 – Rathaus.
Visit QR 03 (Kurpark) and QR 10 (Kneipp), to find out more about the health resort.
The incredibly successful spa treatment industry …
… in Bad Berneck helped shape the town’s urban development – this is well illustrated by the architectural variations found in the different Kurhaus building phases.
In 1875, the municipal spa in Berneck was launched in what is today called Rother Street. It consisted of a hall (Kursaal), a reading room and a music room for the entertainment of the resort guests.
The building soon became too small and in 1909 was replaced by an architecturally quirky new building.
Gradually there were further additions and changes (during the 30s, 50s, etc.) to meet the requirements of the many, often quite sophisticated, guests.
Today, the appearance of the former spa building is strongly influenced by the extensions deriving from the 70’s and 80’s.
An attractive wood-paneled banquet hall from the 1950s, now called Eventzio, recalls one of the heydays of the health resort industry in Berneck.
Dancing in the Kurhaus
Ingrid Binecki, geborene Berneckerin, begann 1966 ihre Laufbahn als Kneipp Bademeisterin.
Ihre Eltern leiteten seit Anfang der 50er Jahre das Kurheim Wittig an der Ölschnitz.
Für die QR-Tour erzählt uns Ingrid Binecki Anekdoten von Kurgästen und Kurattraktionen von den 50er bis zu den 70er Jahren.
English voice: Catriona Gallo
| Ingrid Binecki tells us about the dancing in the Kurhaus. |
Dedications of our Dear Guests
Ingrid Binecki, born in Berneck, began her career in 1966 as a Kneipp Therapist. Her parents ran the Kurheim Wittig (Kurheim = bed & breakfast with spa elements) on the river Ölschnitz since the early 1950s.
For the QR-Tour Ingrid Binecki shows us the guestbook of Kurheim Wittig and
tells us anecdotes of spa guests and spa town attractions from the 50s to the 70s.
I was a wreck when I first came to Bad Berneck!
A witty poem from the guest book of the Guest House Wittig:
A tired old soul, like a broken wreck
That’s how I got to Bad Berneck.
Blood pressure high, with feet very cold,
In years quite young, but the corpus old.
From the top of the head to the very last toe
A poor old soul, full of woe – yes,woe!
Then said my clever, wise doctor man
“a Kneipp cure week, that’s what you can!
Since if it fails, it does no harm.”
And so I thought, deep in my soul
OK, let’s go to Wittig’s hole.
But look at all the truth within
The Kneipping cure was far from grim!
It almost made your thirst feel quenched
First all warm and then cold drenched,
Wrapped in haysacks, treading in water
Lie on a bench and be massaged like slaughter
Then brushing the skin and into the baths
Then run all about ‘til your feet are like laths!
Four weeks long, and now I narrate,
Healed of my pain and all the complaints
That now I must travel all happy back home
To start once again pulling trees from the loam.
Thanks be to good old trusty Kneipp,
Who knew what was good for your soul and your life
Thanks also go to Wittigs and the town,
Who wrapped me royally in eiderdown!
From a Berliner lady, who will return!
