When art historian Bettina Klein, upon her return from a 20-year stay in Japan, fell in love with the run-down estate in Hessenburg (Ostsee), she had no idea how much work and patience would be required to bring the place back to life. Originally built in 1840 for an aristocratic family, the Kranich Museum & Hotel now stands quietly surrounded by old trees and fields where hundreds of cranes make a pit stop on their migratory route between Spain and Sweden two times a year. It was the cranes that gave Bettina hope, a symbol of luck in Japan—and luck she had. With the village authorities’ and community’s help together with Alex Schweder, a New York artist who coined the term “Performance Architecture”, the Kranich Museum & Hotel is one of a kind, a tasteful blend of the old and the new, layers of historical paints not hidden but thriving in the process of constant change and performance that is this building.
The museum and the hotel areas are integrated; bright and beautiful rooms are equipped with cast-iron stoves, while apartment suites on the top floor come with a modern kitchen. In addition to the eight rooms in the main building, there is a separately located garden house with two apartments. Since its opening in 2011, Bettina has also invited artists to participate in an Artist-in-residence program. The works created have either been added to the museum’s collection or adorn the walls of the hotel rooms that guests stay in. This year the artist is Japanese sound artist, DJane and music curator Mieko Suzuki. Kranich Museum & Hotel is the perfect location for a relaxing holiday a few hours away from home or for hosting a special event from weddings to family reunions, or immersing yourself in the history and art that surrounds you.
Text: Rei Matsuoka / Photos: Stephan Heering
Kranich Museum & Hotel, Dorfpl.2, 18317 Saal; map
You can find the rates and availability here.
@kranichmuseumundhotel
