The memorial Prora on the island of Rügen has been converted into the longest youth hostel in the world
The youth hostel in Prora on the island of Rügen (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) opened its doors on July 1, 2011. RDS Partner received the contract for the construction documentation and -management of the project within the framework of the Europe-wide contract awarding procedure. The beach resort Prora was partly planned and constructed between 1935 and 1938. Upon completion the organization “Kraft durch Freude” (KdF) [Strength through Joy] was to realize a vacation destination for up to 20,000 concurrent visitors. However, the construction was discontinued when the Second World War began. The National People’s Army (NPA) used the grounds during GDR times. After the reunification of Germany the Federal Armed Forces took over the 4.5 km-long vacation real estate and worked out a utilization concept after the troop withdrawal in 1992. In 2005 and 2006 the Federal Armed Forces sold parts of the grounds to various private investors and to the Regional District of Rügen. The German Youth Hostel Association (GYHA) is now establishing one of the largest accommodation facilities in Germany with 400 beds in the approximately 145 m-long northern part, “Block V”. During the renovation of the monumentally protected facility special emphasis was placed on retaining the basic form of the building. All 96 two- to six-bed rooms face the ocean and a sink, shower and lavatory or communal bathroom have been installed in each room. A large dining hall, a kitchen and a cafeteria are located on the ground floor. On the first floor the historic “Rue intérieure” has been reconstructed, which serves as an interior boulevard. The four-meter wide corridors provide special spaces for informal play- and leisure activities and access to a large number of group- and play rooms.
