Villa Hügel, a statement of power and persisting presence

Standing proudly at the edge of the Stadtwald (City Wood) on a hill overlooking the Baldeneysee, an artificial boating lake created by damming the river Ruhr south of Essen we find the aptly named Villa Hügel (Mansion on the Hill). The river Ruhr gives its name to the Ruhr Area, one of the most densely populated eras in Europe and one of the largest industrial centres in Germany from the 1800s onwards. The Ruhr Rhine Area is the 4th-largest conurbation in Europe after Moscow (1st), London (2nd) and Paris (3rd). The Ruhr Area has no centralised administration and comprises of a vast industrialised urban landscape between the rivers Rhine, Ruhr and Lippe with several large cities (Essen, Dortmund, Duisburg, Oberhausen, Hamm, Mülheim a/d Ruhr, Bochum, Gelsenkirchen, Hagen and Herne) located half in the Rhineland and half in Westphalia.

The Villa Hügel came into being as a result of changes to the management structure of the Friedrich Krupp AG. To better manage the rapidly expanded company Alfred Krupp introduced procuration, delegating decision-making to division directors. The result of this de facto withdrawal of the company owner from the day-to-day running of the industrial conglomerate was the need for new and representative housing. The Krupp family had before lived on the vast industrial complex next to the old city of Essen. A wooded hill with a medieval farmstead outside of the sprawling city was chosen for the erection of a representative mansion.

The mansion comprises of two sections the Villa Hügel and the Kleines Haus, an annex that is linked to the main house via the library and several offices. Although the name translates as "The Small House" this should be viewed relative to the main mansion as the large building contains 60 rooms. The mansion is approached via a long drive through a large estate of over 150 hectare (375 acres). The complex also included stables, garages, kitchen gardens, plant nursery and housing for personnel in the guise of a romantic garden village. The Villa Hügel also has its own train station at the bottom of the hill.

The mansion was built between 1870 and 1873 by Alfred Krupp as the new residence for the Krupp family. The house has 269 rooms and occupies some 8,100 m2. The Vestibule (left) is a vast room directly off the main entrance of the big house. It is completely covered in oak panelling. The house had its own generator for the electric lighting when it was built. The impressive carved oak staircase (middle) leads up to the first floor. Here above the Vestibule is the Great Hall (right), that is both reminiscent of a basilica and a factory shed. This vast room was used for parties, concerts and banquets and has a built-in organ.

Today nothing is left of the Klosterbuschhof (a grange farm belonging to the Essen Monastery). Instead the vast Villa Hügel stand proudly in the middle of the 28 hectare Hügelpark. The building in an eclectic neo-classical style sits on a large terrace with gardens. Once the gardens were far more elaborate with cascades, fountains, pavilions and Laubgänge (covered walks). From the terrace the building presents itself as a single unit through the long garden facade.

A large portico gives access to the Vestibule (ground floor) and the Great Hall (first floor). The decorative program references several styles, periods and places. Sphinxes flank the portal. Lions flank the entrance to the garden room in the "Little House" at the other end of the long garden facade.

The Villa Hügel completely dominates the hill is was built on. From the park around some excellent views are to me had of the main house. The park is an undulating landscape park that was planted around 1890 with many exotic trees and shrubs.

The house is now a museum and can be visited after buying a ticket at one of the entrances to the park. A gate house was built on each entrance (left) in a romantic vernacular style. A bridge across a stream (middle) imitates a rustic log bridge, but was created from steal-enforced concrete. In some parts the high wall of the garden terrace stand out in the undulating park. On the corners a belvedere was creates that provide lovely views across the landscape beyond.