Thursday, September 4
€27.5 million Siemens villa to be auctioned off on Thursday
Overlooking Potsdam’s Lehnitzsee, the villa was built in 1910 by architect Otto March for Carl Friedrich von Siemens, the youngest son of inventor and entrepreneur Werner von Siemens. An heir to a vast fortune, he commissioned a residence in the style of an English country house. The H-shaped main building boasted modern facilities unusual for the time, including a central vacuum system, its own power station, a telephone line and a passenger lift. The estate also featured a boathouse and tennis courts. Now, the complex – valued at around €27.5 million – is being offered to the highest bidder.
Ownership of the villa passed out of family hands after the Second World War. With the liberation of Berlin, the Red Army confiscated the property and converted it into a pulmonary sanatorium. Following German reunification, the estate was formally returned to the von Siemens heirs, though they never made use of it.
Who holds the title today remains unclear, as does the purchase price when the villa last changed hands in 2020. What is known is that no significant renovation has been carried out, and the estate has now been placed under compulsory auction. The proceedings will be held behind closed doors, with only the date made public.
