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History of the spa
Bad Neuenahr through the ages
The spa town of Neuenahr is one of the most recently founded spas in the Rhineland. The success of the spa is not so much linked to spectacular visits by kings and emperors, as is the case with the aristocratic spas of Bad Ems or Baden-Baden, but rather the result of cures carried out according to the most modern aspects of balneology (spa and healing springs science).
The success story of the spa town of Neuenahr began in the spring of 1852 with the discovery of the Apollinaris spring at the foot of the Landskrone by the merchant and wine merchant Georg Kreuzberg and his search for further springs in what is now the spa area. This was the start of a dynamic development process that turned the three poor villages of Wadenheim, Beul and Hemmessen into a renowned spa.
Like a phoenix from the ashes
By 1856, three more springs - the Augusta Spring, the Victoria Spring and the Cold Spring - had been discovered and analysed in the area of today's Kurpark under the direction of Georg Kreuzberg. On 14 May 1856, the government in Koblenz granted permission to use the mineral water for therapeutic drinking cures and baths. In the same year, the first wooden drinking hall was erected in the immediate vicinity of the well taps.
In 1861, this building was replaced by a drinking hall made of cast iron, which was continually extended with an extensive walkway until 1914. On 28 July 1858 , the ceremonial consecration of the three healing springs took place in the presence of Princess Augusta of Prussia, who later became Empress of Germany. Since then, this date has been regarded as the founding day of the spa town of Neuenahr.
The first spa season began the following year on 31 May 1859, with 166 spa guests.
Neuenahr - Germany's only alkaline thermal baths
The search for further springs continued even after the spa opened. The "Großer Sprudel" was drilled in 1861 and the Willibrordus-Sprudel in 1904.
"The water is colourless, clear and odourless and can be stored in cool places for long periods of time without harming its effectiveness." Weidgen 1869
The springs belong to the group of warm alkaline acidulous waters and their composition is unique in Germany. From a chemical-physical point of view, the two main springs "Großer Sprudel" and "Willibrordus-Sprudel" can be characterised by the fact that they are alkaline-earthy springs with a very high proportion of hydrogen carbonate and a high content of naturally bound carbonic acid.
The main deposits of mineral and medicinal water and carbon dioxide are concentrated in the area of the Apollinaris fountain and the spa park in the area of the Großer Sprudel.
It was not until 1973 that a third spring, the Walpurgis spring, was drilled. The water from this spring is used in the Ahr thermal baths.
The healing power of the springs
In just a few years, the Neuenahr spa developed into an international health resort that was visited for diabetes, liver and gallbladder, intestinal and kidney disorders as well as skin diseases. The spa gained an important reputation very early on, particularly in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases.
The fountain cure always had a special significance in Neuenahr. It was directly linked to the social and cultural offerings for spa guests. From the very beginning, the drinking cure was supplemented by "tub baths" and balneological therapies that involved the whole body in the treatment.
"The bubbles are served three times a day before meals in the drinking hall of the well-kept spa park and should be drunk slowly, in single sips. The crystal-clear spring water has a pleasant tingling flavour." Bad Neuenahr-The spa: Healing indications and remedies 1980s
A spa resort is created
The speed with which the entire spa complex was built was due to the innovative strength of the public limited company founded in 1857 and its spa directors.
- 1858/60: Construction of the first English-style spa hotel
- 1860/63: Construction of the cast-iron drinking hall with inhalatorium and walkway
- 1862/63: Construction of the second bathhouse
- 1898/99: Extension of the spa hotel to the east and construction of the thermal bathhouse
- 1903/05: Construction of the Kurhaus with concert hall, theatre, restaurants
- 1913/14: Extension of the spa hotel to the west
- From 1927: Plans for the modernisation of the Kurpark and its architecture as well as the parks along the Ahr river
Urban development
"The bathing traffic that began in 1857 soon brought about a change in the prevailing conditions." The municipality of Neuenahr 1857-1907 (start of actual spa operations from 1860)
In 1907, there were 941 beds in the first-class hotels, 681 beds in the medium-sized hotels, 379 beds in the smaller hotels and 1236 beds in private flats available to accommodate tourists.
The spa gardens
To this day, Neuenahr is rich in promenades and parks that stretch along the right and left banks of the Ahr. The heart of the entire green area is the Kurpark: avenues, flowerbeds and gardens invite visitors to enjoy a variety of leisure activities and cultural events. Both the spa gardens and the extensive parks have their origins in the 19th and 20th century idea that spending time in nature is an important part of a successful spa holiday.
The first designs for the spa gardens were created by the famous landscape architect Peter Joseph Lenné, who was highly esteemed as the royal Prussian garden director by the then Crown Princess Augusta.
Neuenahr has had a railway station since 1880, when it was connected to the Remagen-Ahrweiler railway network. Previously, spa guests had been transported by coach from Remagen to the Ahr Valley. The railway station building was completed in 1881. The "trackless electric railway", which commuted between Neuenahr and Walporzheim from 1906 to 1917, was a particular convenience.
"The centre of spa life is the magnificent spa garden. Here are the drinking halls and the newly built and enlarged promenades for the protection of spa guests"(guest guide 1911)
Fountain and spa doctors
The spa doctors made the young spa in the Ahr Valley famous in Germany and far beyond its borders with their numerous publications, which were addressed to both specialist colleagues and the general public. In addition to providing medical care for spa guests, her duties included monitoring the springs, the spa staff and the hygienic conditions of the spa.
The first comprehensive treatise on the springs of Bad Neuenahr with an analysis of the water, the indications and the use and application of drinking cures and baths was written by the Bonn physician Dr Julius Wegeler and published by Habicht-Verlag Bonn in 1861 with six steel engravings. It was republished 100 years later as a facsimile. With the detailed description of the charming scenic surroundings of the spa town and the steel engravings showing the bathhouse and spa centre, drinking hall, spa hotel and general view of Neuenahr, Wegeler made a major contribution to publicising the up-and-coming young spa town.
Fango in the morning - tango in the evening
The number of visitors to the Neuenahr spa increased steadily from spa season to spa season until 1913. As early as 1863, 1297 guests were recorded, in 1880 it was 3505 and in 1913 even 15,226. The highest occupancy in the period up to 1945 is recorded for the year 1937/38. In this season, 23,369 "real spa guests" visited the spa in the Ahr Valley.
The guests came mainly from northern Germany as well as from neighbouring and distant countries. Their wishes and demands influenced the development of the spa, its modern technical standards and the services offered by the hotels and guesthouses. There were several "kosher" hotels that advertised their services to Jewish spa guests. Also noteworthy is the construction of the Martin Luther Church (1870/71), the synagogue (1901) and the Rosenkranzkirche (1899/1901) in prominent locations in the town.
1893: Centralised water supply
1899: Supply of gas & electricity
1907: Underground sewerage system and several footbridges and footbridges over the River Ahr
The flourishing spa changes its face
With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the rise of the spa was interrupted. Normal spa operations declined sharply, and in 1916 only 54 spa guests from abroad visited the spa in the Ahr valley. Instead, however, the hotels and spa facilities were used as military hospitals, where sick, lightly and severely wounded soldiers were accommodated. After the end of the war, around 5,000 to 9,000 American soldiers occupied the spa town between December 1918 and mid-1919.
Despite the difficult political and economic situation, Neuenahr succeeded in setting many important accents in the 1920s through various construction and design measures.
The year 1927 in particular was very eventful and characterised the further development of the spa right up to the present day: The municipality of Neuenahr officially received the title of "Bad" and under spa director Felix Rütten, the Lenné Park with tennis courts, the terrace café and a lido were created in 1927.
An architectural competition was also held to modernise the spa park.
Realisation of the architectural competition from 1927
One of the most important structural and design changes that the Kurpark has undergone since its foundation is its expansion through the relocation of Oberstrasse and the realisation of the plans by Essen architect Hermann Weiser.
Weiser was one of Peter Behrens' students at the Vienna Academy and was awarded the Peter Behrens Prize in 1926. His buildings are characterised by functional, strictly symmetrical architecture in concrete and glass. For the first time since the Great Fountain was drilled in 1861, the fountains and spa gardens were once again located in the same area.
The architectural and garden redesign of the spa gardens was only realised by Hermann Weiser in collaboration with Gertrud Loimann between the end of 1933 and 1938, based on the designs of the 1927 architectural competition, which were not carried out due to the poor economic conditions (global economic crisis of 1929).
At the end of 1933/34, the old cast-iron drinking and promenade hall was removed within approx. 4 months and replaced by the new building that still exists today. A major technical innovation of the entire ensemble was the installation of the revolving orchestra shell in the wall of the drinking hall in the west. This ensured that the musical programme could be used regardless of the weather. A smaller drinking hall to the south was completed in 1938.
After the National Socialists seized power in 1933, tourism was reorganised throughout the Reich, from which Bad Neuenahr also benefited. Visitor numbers rose again in the 1930s.
The Jewish population in the spa town of Neuenahr was also subjected to all levels of persecution during the Nazi era. This also affected the renowned Jewish spa doctors, hoteliers and business people. On 10 November 1938, the synagogue in Bad Neuenahr also burned down. In 1942, the remaining Jews were deported from the town to concentration and extermination camps.
From 1939 to 1945, the spa once again served as a military hospital for thousands of soldiers. In addition to the spa guests and the wounded, the bombed-out population from the major cities also had to be accommodated and cared for in the spa. The war ended in Bad Neuenahr on 7 March 1945 with the arrival of the Americans. They set up the headquarters of the 15th US Army in the spa district. The contracts for the change of occupying power were signed in the Kurhotel on 2 July 1945. The town was handed over to the French on 10 July 1945.
After the end of the Second World War, the restart of the spa business and the development of tourism proved to be very difficult. Reconstruction was hampered not only by the poor economic situation during the emergency years, but also by the poor state of the infrastructure of the spa town and its spa facilities. The parks had at times served as a training camp for American and French soldiers, and the hotels as military hospitals.
The spa officially reopened on 11 May 1946. Within a few years, the spa had once again developed into a popular health resort with great touristic qualities. The opening of the casino in the Kurhaus on 15 December 1948 and the proximity to Bonn, the federal capital at the time, proved to be decisive factors in the spa's renewed prosperity. Major events such as the Federal Press Ball and the Dahlia Festival gave the spa an international flavour and modern flair.
The demolition of the old Kurhaus in 1965 and the construction of a new central hotel building is still a visible sign of the post-war modernisation measures. Together with the other new buildings of those years, it is an expression of the spirit of the time, which was to offer guests the highest level of comfort, international class and a high gastronomic standard.
As a result of the health reforms in the 1970s and 1980s, but also due to the merging of the formerly independent towns of Ahrweiler and Bad Neuenahr in the course of the regional reform in 1969, the spa town of Neuenahr developed into a "pluralistic health resort", as the first mayor of the entire town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Rudolf Weltken, put it. He understood this to mean a synthesis of medical services, a location for rehabilitation clinics and the diverse opportunities that the Ahr Valley holiday, conference and recreation region had to offer.
A concept that has proved its worth to this day! Heilbad Neuenahr is still one of the most important and successful health resorts in Germany.
Glamour and celebrities at the spa
"Nowhere in such a small space do so many dissimilar but almost always interesting people, often fascinating personalities, meet as in a seaside resort.
To give just one example, as I was walking to the fountain today, I met a Spanish painter on the way who waved his battered floppy hat in front of me with the aristocratic grandeur of a Spanish hidalgo. As soon as I had stopped laughing, a prince from one of the Central German dynasties greeted me with Prussian panache." From a letter written by Princess Gorchakov, spa guest in Bad Neuenahr in 1873 Source: Bad Neuenahr. The beautiful spa in the Ahr valley. Bad Neuenahr, n.d.
To this day, glamour and celebrity, along with an outstanding medical reputation, are the success factors for every spa business and thus also for the spa in the Ahr Valley.
In its founding and development phase, the spa town of Neuenahr was renowned above all for its excellent contacts with the Prussian royal family, in particular Princess Augusta, the later Prussian queen and German empress, and her favourite garden architect Peter Joseph Lenné, The spa and visitor lists also include names such as Julius Stockhausen and Johannes Brahms, who gave concerts in the Ahr in 1868, and Karl Marx, who in 1877, together with his wife and daughter, was treated for a liver ailment by spa physician Dr Richard Schmitz at the Hotel zur Flora (now the town council offices) in Neuenahr. Richard Schmitz for a liver complaint.
But even in later years, numerous well-known names and faces from politics, church and society tell of the attraction and glamour of the spa on the Ahr.
Whether Soraya, the second wife of the Shah of Persia from 1951 to 1958, the Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba, the "dream couple" of the economic miracle era, the top athletes Marika Kilius and Hans-Jürgen Bäumler, the boxing world champion Max Schmeling, the former Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate Kurt Beck, the former Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Gengis, or the former President of the Federal Republic of Germany Hans-Jürgen Bäumler. Kurt Beck, former Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Nobel Prize winner Heinrich Böll and his friend Lew Kopelew, Cardinal Lehmann and actor Mario Adorf, "Traumschiff-Kapitän" (ZDF series) Siegfried Rauch, ex-Formula 1 racing drivers Mika Häkkinen and David Coulthard, football star Franz Beckenbauer and cycling legend Rudi Altig.
All of them and many other stars and starlets, who cannot all be listed here, have played a very special part in the fact that the youngest spa in the Rhineland has remained successful to this day as an attractive meeting place for conferences, congresses and events, as a health centre with an outstanding medical infrastructure, a unique scenic backdrop and a high-quality range of events and leisure activities. Federal President Heuss made the oft-quoted statement during a late-night celebration at the spa: "The Federal President goes, the private person stays." Like him, many celebrities still practise this today. They like to stay here at the spa as private individuals and can rely on the utmost discretion and protection of their privacy.
With the touring theatre of the 1940s, the Federal Press Balls in the 1950s, the legendary Madame Balls and a programme of conferences and events that is still extensive today, world-famous singers and actors such as Josephine Baker, Conny Froboess, Romy Schneider, Hildegard Knef, Petra Schürmann, Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff, Chris Howland, Maria Schell, Peter Kreuder, Zarah Leander, Heidi Kabel, Willi Millowitsch, the Kessler twins, Heinz Erhard or the boxing world champion Max Schmeling, the industrialist and racing driver Peter Merck and many others.and many more on the history of the spa.
The Rhenish composer Willi Ostermann, known for his homeland and carnival songs centred around the soul of Cologne, had a particularly close relationship with Bad Neuenahr. He made his last appearance on the stage of the spa theatre in 1936. He wrote his most famous song "Heimweh nach Kölle" shortly before his death.
Due to its proximity to Bonn, Bad Neuenahr advanced to become an elegant suburb of the developing German capital by the end of the 1960s, so that the political celebrities of the time, such as Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, the then Federal Minister for Special Tasks and Foreign Minister Franz Josef Strauß, Federal President Prof. Dr Theodor Heuss, the father of the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Labour, were also invited to Bad Neuenahr. Theodor Heuss, the father of the economic miracle Prof. Ludwig Erhard, Minister President Altmeier, the constitutional lawyer and Vice President of the Bundestag Prof. Carlo Schmid or party greats such as SPD party chairman Erich Ollenhauer or FDP leader Thomas Dehler, together with international diplomats, were very often to be found at the spa.
