Some time ago I had a wonderful day in Berlin, Germany. I had some business to do there and was the same moment invited by a wonderful person who wanted to show me the great architecture, the wide alleys and the grandeur of the old and modern city.

When I think about Berlin, I see in front of my inner eye modern buildings, the Jewish monument reminding the Holocaust, incredible huge shopping malls like the KaDeWe, some rivers, and streets like in the USA: wide, 4 lanes and never ending traffic. In two words: all what I don’t really like.

But that wonderful person drove me around for an entire day to the places that make the city really beautiful. Alleys after alleys I saw big buildings full of history, from different eras, I love the Gründerzeit (Founding Epoch Architecture style).

We drove through varies districts for hours and still I haven’t seen a third, she told me. We saw wonderful front gardens, fenced with wonderful wrought iron fences and gates, mansions that seem to be castles in the neighborhood of modern insignificant looking bungalows.

I couldn’t resist and had to take some photos. And at home I had some research about it, of course.

The mansion is situated in the Grunewald district which is already known for being one of the best parts of the city.

The first owner was a certain Franz Pietschmann. Ernst Nölle who was involved in the steel industry bought the place in 1899 and built the mansion in the following years.

He lived in the mansion with his wife and their five children. I just can imagine the joy of playing in the huge park-like garden just right to a lake, the Dianasee.

The villa was sold already in the twenties, then several times again. A master painter bought the house in the seventies and refurbished it with love and passion for the place.

Today the owner is a Russian woman who is not doing anything to the house which is going back into ruin unfortunately. It’s really a pity!

Very interesting is the gate design with rose leaves and – so it seems to me – grapes. Also, we found a plaque that says ‘Rosenbaum Museum’. The clock on top of the entrance door looks like a station clock.. very strange!

Thank you, Regina, for that lovely day together and all your patience with me and passion with your city! I definitely changed my feelings about Berlin!