Scary Abandoned Places - 1816 Building Germany

Abandoned Places

I recently discovered this abandoned building while searching for a place to metal detect in Germany.  The sign on the outside had a date of 1816, presumably the year it was built.

 This has to be one of the most fascinating abandoned places I have ever explored.  The building is located just out of town in the forest along a canal.  There is a boat lock dating back to the early 1700's just steps from one of the entrances.  Perhaps this was some type of boat station?  I am certain there is a connection between the building itself and the canal.  

Inside I found a mix of old and new.  There were relics and decor from both the early 1800's and what looked to be the 60's or 70's.  Upstairs in the attic, or what seemed to be the second floor at one time, there were rooms built which looked like living quarters.  The wallpaper consisted of multiple layers, the oldest being newspaper from the early 1900's.  

Strewn across the floor there was an odd mix of items.  I found an old briefcase, a lot of old farm tools, an old safe (empty) and a piece of wood that looked like the bottom of a shoe, though it wasn't actually a shoe, more like something a cobbler would use to stretch or make a shoe.  The whole building was thick with cobwebs and there was animal scat all over the floor.  Though there were many signs that people had been in there before me, there was a surprising lack of graffiti, which seemed to preserve the authenticity of the building.

Most of the doors and window through which one could enter had been boarded up, though the main door in the front had been broken into and looked as if it had been open for quite some time.  As tempted as I was to take a few souvenirs home I decided to leave things be.

The building had an odd layout, you could only access half of the first floor.  To get to the other side you had to either go outside to the other entrance or go upstairs, across, and back down again.  There are still more rooms that I didn't explore as they were pitch black and I didn't have a flashlight.  A barn door leads directly into a massive fireplace which looked as though it was at one time a central heating system for the whole building.   

After about 45 minutes of exploring I decided to sneak back out and head home.  I have a trip planned to return to Germany later this summer, I will definitely go back more prepared.  I intend on bringing my metal detector next time, if this was originally a boat station then there was money being exchanged.

This experience has definitely peaked my interest in abandoned places.  Since being back in the states I have begun researching abandoned buildings in my area here in Florida.  When I find some, I will sure to bring my camera.

Abandoned Places