Forester’s Cabin, Germany

This picturesque abandoned Forester’s Cabin lies in the rolling hills of western Germany. Furthermore, this place is also sometimes called “Haus des Soldaten”, the house of the solider. There are no paved roads leading here, only a narrow and long disused dirt track. We visited this house in the cold winter of 2017, an interesting way to spend New Year’s Eve.

The table appears set for a meal that will likely never happen. However, this simple wood cabin is warping and leaking after years of neglect. The house is structurally unsound and may not be salvageable. Demolition seems more likely, than renovation. Presently, it seems house may simply collapse as the years pass as it lies hidden in the dense forest.

There is an adorable little bedroom, perhaps a child’s room. The walls are bright yellow, and the floor is a vibrant red. Moss is growing beneath cracks in the ceiling, as water drips onto the floor. The rug at the foot of the bed is slowly dissolving in the damp. The cornflower blue furniture is beautifully hand painted, with white and red floral patterns. There is also a poster illustrating mountain flowers on the wall, hanging above a chair which matches the rest of the hand-decorated decor. A small log burner in the corner would have kept this room nice and toasty. There is a side door which leads to a balcony. The balcony itself is now collapsing and will one day tumble down the hill. A very sad looking teddy bear sits in the corner, all alone.

The other rooms of this Forester’s Cabin feature many personal items, including more stuffed animal toys. There is a blue felt homemade E.T toy, from the 1980’s Stephen Spielberg movie. The toy has even had a little heart hand-sewn onto the chest.

The last remaining cabin in the forest

This humble cabin is the last remaining of several structures. The Reich Labour Service (Reicharbeitsdienst, or “RAD”) unit once owned these cabins. The RAD was a German National Work Service, established in Occupied Europe in 1934. The RAD supported military operations in this area by building and maintaining roads.

The Forestethen became home to two East Prussian refugees, after the war ended. After the refugees moved on, the house may have been a weekend home for hunters or foresters. Presently, a local couple own the land. This couple had planned to renovate the house and use it as a holiday home. It seems that these plans are yet to come to fruition.