Somewhere between Hamburg and Berlin, nestled in the Elbe meadows, lies the world’s smallest Hanseatic town: Werben. On arrival, it feels as if everything moves a little slower, or, better said, at its own pace. Walking through Werben, in the northern part of the Stendal district in Saxony-Anhalt, we’re greeted by historic half-timbered houses painted in bright colors. As our gaze drifts over the vast, green fields of the Elbe meadows, the wind gently rustles through the trees, and we listen to the chatter of geese and cranes. At the heart of the town, home to 900 residents, and right next to the imposing St. John’s Church, stands the Komturei. For centuries, it’s been a place of community, agriculture, and transformation. First, a monastic courtyard — the original settlement of the Johanniter order — later a Prussian estate, and finally an LPG collective farm. Living here means residing in a piece of the town’s history. Like many of Werben’s residents before them, architects Aimée Michelfelder and Jurek Brüggen fell in love with the town and the Komturei during a bike ride along the Elbe. Together with other architects, they convinced the town to revive the Komturei. In the future, it will house assisted living apartments, seminar rooms, a yoga studio, as well as ateliers and workshops. The Verwalterinnenhaus is part of the Komturei.
Built in 1890, on medieval foundation remnants, it was, as its name suggests, a place of administration, but today serves as a retreat. After two years of renovation and construction, the collaborative project by AADA, AFEA, ammi, Patrick Holzer, and undjurekbrüggen is now complete. The team of architects has transformed the historic building into six minimalist, fully equipped holiday apartments. They prioritized natural and traditional materials such as clay and lime plaster, as well as wood-fiber and hemp insulation. Historic beams and windows were restored, and existing facade bricks were reused. Their approach was clear: preserve where possible; complement where necessary. When the sun peeks out from behind the clouds, we sit in the garden and read. In summer, we head to the Elbe riverbank for a swim. After a long walk through the Elbe meadows, we warm up in the sauna. In the afternoon, we stop by Café Lämpel for coffee and cake. Here, a space for communal relaxation has been created — a place designed and built with sustainability in mind. One can work here or do absolutely nothing and feel right at home.
Text: Milena Kalojanov / Photos: Anne Schwalbe
Verwalterinnenhaus
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