Prora

Prora is a large seaside complex on the island of Rügen in northern Germany originally constructed in the late 1930s as a mass seaside resort under the Nazi ‘Strength Through Joy’ initiative. The building is notable for its extreme linear scale and uniform architectural façade facing the Baltic Sea.

The complex was designed to provide accommodation for large numbers of holidaymakers and originally planned to house tens of thousands of guests; construction began in 1936 and continued into the late 1930s but the resort never opened for its intended civilian use. The site has since been adapted in parts for contemporary uses including museums, youth hostels and private apartments.

Prora occupies a long stretch of beach-front on Rügen and is accessed from local roads and rail connections serving the island’s tourist infrastructure. Its scale and historical association make it a frequently studied example of 20th-century mass leisure architecture.

• Length and origin: The seawall-long structure extends for approximately 4.5 kilometres along the Rügen shoreline and was built during the Nazi-era Strength Through Joy programme in the late 1930s.

What to See #

• Main resort blocks: An almost continuous, linear block of eight identical resort housing sections constructed as part of a single planned complex facing the beach on the island of Rügen.
• Beachfront: A stretch of Baltic coastline and beach immediately in front of the complex that formed the intended recreational space for guests of the 1930s resort.