In the Kaliningrad region, in the city of Znamensk (previously known as Velau), there is a gem for lovers of abandoned places – the abandoned Allenberg psychiatric hospital.
Construction of the hospital began way back in 1848, with its opening in 1852. Over time, the hospital was expanded to increase the number of beds. In 1837, there were 250 beds here, but by 1900, it had increased to 1000.
The number of patients decreased due to a smallpox epidemic and the onset of World War I. However, by 1929, there were already 1400 patients here.
Most of the buildings were constructed in the 1850s in a pseudo-Gothic style, adding extra gloominess and mystery to the place. It was the largest institution of its kind in East Prussia. To be admitted here, it was not necessary to be a real lunatic in the classical sense of the word. For example, occasional lunacy or severe depression was often sufficient. Patients were treated with various methods, sometimes not entirely humane by today’s standards.
In 1940, at the beginning of World War II, the hospital was closed, and a Nazi SS garrison was stationed on its grounds. There are assumptions that incurable patients could have been simply liquidated, while the remaining ones were sent to other medical institutions.
After the Soviet Union’s forces captured the city of Königsberg in 1945 and drove out the Germans, a Russian military unit remained here until 2013. Later, the buildings were abandoned by the military, and currently, the building is completely deserted.
For people with rich imagination, this is truly a place where you can let your imagination run wild. Just imagine what could have happened in this building over 100 years or even more!