Ballsaal Sandkorn / Ballhaus D, Germany

Ballsaal Sandkorn (Ballhaus D) was a derelict ballroom in East Germany. This ballroom was built at the dawn of the 20th Century. It is unclear how long this once grandiose location has been abandoned. We visited this location in 2018, as part of the Easter GDR Tour 2018.

At the time of my visit, the floor was riddled with holes. Decades of decay and rot has been chipping away at the wooden floorboards. Patches of the plaster ceiling mouldings have come crashing down, leaving ugly scars. The wooden ceiling above peeks through the holes.

There was once an orange curtain above the stage, dangling from the proscenium arch. Unfortunately, this has already fallen and has been removed by the time we visited.

Scare history of Ballsaal Sandkorn / Ballhaus D

Sadly, there is little history available for Ballhaus Sandkorn. This once grand building was likely built around the turn of the 20th Centuary. The ballroom was attached to an old in, which itself was built in 1870. Like the ballroom, the inn was derelict at the time of our visit. Many ballrooms were built at this time across East Germany. The economy was booming, and the wealthy citizens yearned for upper-class entertainment. Almost every village would once have had ballroom like this one.

The hall may have served as a furniture distribution warehouse in recent years. The locals apathetically watched as I climbed in through the window in plain view.

Over the decays, these once beautiful buildings have fallen from grace. At best, they are renovated. More often than not, they are simply left to decline.