Reconstruction of historic villa delayed

(CS/if) A villa demolished in Luxembourg City some five years ago is set to be rebuilt in Grevenmacher to house a doctor's practice.

The so-called Villa Goebbels, built in 1931 in the Art Nouveau style, stood in Rue Glesener until 2010. The house was also known as the Maison Berbère after a restaurant it housed.

The demolition of the house, designed by Luxembourg architect Jean Mackel, caused a debate at the time. Only through the intervention of the “Luxembourg Patrimoine” association was a solution found to preserve it – although in a slightly unconventional manner.

An investor decided to have the building removed stone by stone in order for it to be rebuilt on his private property in Route de Trèves in Grevenmacher. However, while set to be rebuilt in 2011, the parts of the house have still not been put together again. 

The project has not been abandoned, the investor has confirmed to the “Luxemburger Wort”. Construction plans have been finalised, but the necessary funding has not yet been fully raised.

There are, however, plans already for the building to be home to a doctor's practice.

The reconstruction of the villa at a new site has not only been met with approval. The association “Sauvegarde du Patrimoine” has criticised the decision to have the building demolished in the first place.

Rather than protecting heritage, the removal and rebuilding of the Villa Goebbels is false labelling, the group said. “The only thing that you can conserve following the demolition of the building in Luxembourg City is a memory,” vice president Jochen Zenthöfer said.

While he said it is worth rebuilding the house, in terms of national heritage, a cultural asset has been lost, Zenthöfer argued.