Villa Fliedner

Useful Information

Location:	Monsheim, access through Grabenstraße 20.
Open:	All year daily. [2007]
Fee:	Single EUR 47, Double EUR 33, Holiday Home (4+2) EUR 85. [2007]
Classification:	Cellar World War II Bunker
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Gästehaus Villa Fliedner, Owners: Andrea and Benedikt West, Bornstraße 3, 67590 Monsheim, Tel: +49-6243-907782, Fax: +49-6243-907788. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

18th century	cellar built.
1898	Villa Fliedner built above the cellar by the country doctor Dr. Carl Fliedner (*1853-✝1930).
1900	Villa completed, family moves in.
1944/45	cellar transformed into air raid shelter.

Description

The cellars at Monsheim were built during the 18th century. Much later the Villa Fliedner was built on top by the country doctor Dr. Carl Fliedner (*1853-✝1930).

Again much later, after the death of the doctor, the cellars were transformed into air raid shelters. In the years 1944 and 1945 many citizens of Monsheim were safed by this shelter. For some time it was too difficult for paras and women in childbed to reach a shelter, so it was too dangerous to stay outside. They were relocated to the shelter for some time. There were two little rooms, the first was used as maternity room, the second for the women in child-bed and their babies. They had to stay for eight days after birth. The children born underground were called Kellerkinder (cellar children).

Today the villa is transformed into a guesthouse. Its possible to visit the cellars, the walls of all rooms are covered with pictures and the stories of the people who stayed here during the war. Obviously, the former children's medical unit is full of reports by mothers who gave birth to their children underground.