Villa Hugel in Essen, Germany
Rating: 8,6/10 (1230 votes) 
Villa Hugel, located in the Bredenai district, is an excellent work of an architectural genius that has witnessed the most important events in the lives of famous people throughout its history. Construction of the villa was started in 1870 by order and sketches of Alfred Krupp, who wanted to build a mansion for his family. For the construction of the building, Krupp bought a plot of land with an area of 28 hectares. The construction was completed by 1873. Alfred managed to make himself a lot of ill-wishers, as a result, the builders had to face a difficult task. Krupp demanded that the villa be built only from fire-resistant materials – stone, glass, steel, which at that time was a rather difficult and unusual task. Alfred also ordered to install an iron three-layer door in his office, and to make all the windows of the building so that they could not be opened from the outside. The owner also prohibited the use of gas in the building, since gas, explosive in nature. Air entered the premises through a special system of channels. The scent of fresh manure was also fed through the system, which Krupp considered"useful." After the death of Alfred Krupp, his son Friedrich Alfred inherited the villa and moved here with his wife Margaret. The family lived in the villa from 1888 to 1902. During this period, the villa has accumulated many Flemish tapestries XVI – XVIII centuries, as well as works of fine art, since the owners were collectors. At the same time, the park has undergone some changes. There were paved paths for horse walks, gazebos for board games and reading, tennis courts. In 1902, Berta Krupp, daughter of Margaret and Friedrich Alfred, became the owner of the villa. Four years later, Bertha married Gustav von Bohlen und Halbach. The Krupps' company was on the rise at that time, so the young family decided to rebuild the villa. For this, leading architects and art historians were hired, as well as the best construction companies. In the course of the work, the halls of the gallery were expanded, the internal volumes were rebuilt. The Krupps lived in the estate until 1945, until the Villa was housed by the Joint Coal Control Commission. The villa was returned to the Krupps in 1952. Currently, the villa houses an art museum, which displays a rich collection of sculptures and paintings. Also here you can visit the exhibition of Tibetan art. The villa complex consists of a main house, a guest house and a picturesque garden.  
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