Germany’s Most Expensive Villa: A History of Wealth and Intrigue
You can argue about taste, but not always about price.whether the 1,490 square meter luxury property with around 30 rooms on several levels on Schwanenwerder is an architectural masterpiece or a bulky structure more suited to the aesthetic sensibilities of nouveau riche individuals remains a matter of opinion.
However, one fact is certain: the house, with its accompanying park of over 10,000 square meters, is the most expensive villa currently for sale in Germany.
prospective buyers must pay nearly 80 million euros to reside on the Havel Island. Schwanenwerder is located in the Berlin district of Nikolassee,which falls within the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district. A compelling story accompanies the property: Brad Pitt is rumored to have commissioned the villa’s construction for his then-wife Angelina Jolie, though the Hollywood star denies this claim.
The “bunker complex” is located on the site of the former Israel family contry estate.
The island and the property itself boast a rich history, beginning with its original name: Sandwerder. This name lacked the glamour desired by wealthy Berliners who began building splendid villas there in the late 19th century. They sought a secluded retreat close to the capital, including Wilhelm Wessel, a lamp manufacturer. Wessel successfully lobbied Kaiser wilhelm II to rename the island schwanenwerder in 1901.
Sandwerder Becomes Schwanenwerder
During this period, others discovered Schwanenwerder as a haven. These included Oscar Wassermann, a German-Jewish banker who served on the board of Deutsche Bank; werner Feilchenfeld, syndic of the Berlin chamber of Commerce and Industry and, after 1935, head of Haavara Trust and Transfer Ltd. in Tel Aviv; Walter Sobernheim, general director of the Schultheiss brewery and brother of Jewish diplomat and orientalist Moritz Sobernheim; and the descendants of Nathan Israel, founder of the Israel department store dynasty. The current magnificent structure, built in 2009 and offered for sale since February of this year at a record price, now stands precisely where the Israel family’s country estate once stood.
Wilfrid Israel, a philanthropist and heir to the department store fortune, was one of the last occupants of the original Israel Villa after 1935. He cherished spending time there from a young age.