Villa Hügel

The property Hügel 1 is listed in the estate register as a single-family house. However, with its 269 rooms and 8.100 square metres of usable floor space, beautifully situated within a splendid park overlooking Lake Baldeney, the Villa is far more than merely the residence of an industrialist.

Villa Hügel, erected between 1870 and 1873 by Alfred Krupp (1812–1887), was intended as a residence and refuge for Krupp and his family. It provided a suitable stately frame for the Krupp company’s representation, receptions, and festivities. Today, the villa and the entire estate are owned by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung.

The construction of Villa Hügel and the park was Alfred Krupp's most important concern in the last 20 years of his life. The building is based on his own sketches and plans. Functional criteria took precedence over the form and appearance of the building. At the end of the Second World War, the Americans confiscated the entire property and used it as the seat of the Allied Coal Control Commission. It was not returned to the family until July 1952. Shortly thereafter, the family opened the villa and the park for public use.

The Krupp Historical Archive has been housed in the Small House since 1955. It is the oldest company archive in Germany and possesses extensive documents and important collections of historical industrial photos and films. The Small House also houses the permanent Historical Exhibition Krupp documenting the history of the Krupp family, the company and that of the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation.