Ballsaal Der Verbrannten Sonne, Germany

Ballsaal Der Verbrannten Sonne lays derelict and fire damage; an abandoned roadside inn and ballroom in Germany. The beautiful late 1800s ballroom retains most of its original features, and was certainly the highlight of this location for me. Additionally, the bar and restaurant area at the front-of-house also provided some interesting photographic opportunities (I kind of liked the quirky decor and colours!)

I visited this location in the summer of 2021, as I travelled around eastern Germany once again. High up on the wall inside the ballroom is some text, a passage making reference to the sun. For this reason, I decided to codename this location Ballsaal Der Verbrannten Sonne, or Ballroom Of The Scorched Sun.

History of Ballsaal Der Verbrannten Sonne

This late 19th Century inn once offered affordable food and lodgings to travellers and carriages. The road next to the inn was once the main route between two large cities. The regular passing traffic ensured the tables were always books, and the rooms rented. During the time of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) the inn continued to be popular. This was thanks to the continued importance of the road for travellers of East Germany. At this time only military traffic and state-owned manufacturing/agricultural vehicles used the autobahn.

However, things began to change after the reunification. The autobahn was opened up to all travellers. With a huge reduction in passing trade, the inn began to struggle in the 1990s. Eventually, it closed in the mid-2010s.

After a few years, new owners arrived with an ambitious plan. Two artists planned to run the inn as an art house, performance venue and studio. The redecorated the dining room and bar areas. The eclectic decor and colours can be seen in the photos from my visit. Despite getting off to a promising start, the project stalled. The inn was put up for sale again after a few short years.

scorched second visit

This was my second time at this location. When I made my first attempt, permission visits were possible (but we were unable to make timings work). Fast forward to the East Germany Tour 2021, and I found myself unexpectedly passing this building. Literally, pausing at a junction in front of the building it took me a few seconds to recognise this place. In the time between my visits, there had been a large fire. Most of the roof was burnt, exposing the trusses over much of the visible portions.