The wagon house: a historical gems to the heart of Wangen

The wagon house: a historical gems to the heart of Wangen

In Wangen, a mysterious building ensures curious looks and questions-the wagon house, which is located directly at one of the most important events in the city, the State Garden Show. Visitors often stop to take a look at the specially designed building that spreads idyllically on the Argen. The fascination does not fail if you ask yourself whether someone lives there and what stories are hidden behind the walls.

The wagon house, an extraordinary gem in the city, has to tell an eventful story. The building was originally built in 1899, when Peter Paul Meßmer, a factory smith and resident of the region, converted an old railway wagon into a residential building. The historical meaning of the wagon is remarkable: it was probably built around 1856 and was part of the first models that were designed according to the American model.

The rescue by Irene Wanner-Mitter

almost forgotten, the wagon house was empty over a decade and was revealed to decay. The artist Irene Wanner-Mitter, who has been using the house as a studio since 2011, did not want to make the architectural jewel disappear. Her childhood memories of walks with her grandfather, who told her about the wagon, burned down deeply into her memory. "I just didn't want it to get away," she says of her commitment to the preservation of the building.

With a lot of dedication and work, Wanner-Mitter, supported by her family, has restored the house according to monument preservation criteria. It was a tedious process that was associated with many challenges. So they often faced surprises such as subsequent masonry or discovering old colors and materials that belonged to the original wagon. The four-year restoration has made the wagon house an impressive place that makes both its historical and the family history of the building visible.

A look at the story

With its absurd proportions-14.5 meters long and two and a half meters wide-the house offers numerous sights that bring the past to life. The rooms are in good condition and many original elements have remained visible. The charming charm of the living space is shown, among other things, in the kitchen preserved and the cleverly constructed window linen, which had little rain gutters for condensation. They reveal a lot about the modest but imaginative life of the former residents.

The wagon house not only has a special charm through its shape, but also through its innovative construction, as the ground floor was made of stone and the wagon itself was installed. This arrangement could raise many questions about how exactly the heavier wagon got to the sensitive foundation. Despite all efforts, this riddle remained unresolved. Wanner-Mitter itself is unclear about the exact origin, but she knows that even the city of Wangen became aware of the wagon house and it is now under the protection of its monument protection regulations.

During the State Garden Show, the wagon house remains open to visitors on certain days, which offers additional charm and access to the cultural history of the region. Every time the door opens, people not only meet architecture, but also a small piece of lively past, which was preserved by Wanner-Mitter's passion and effort.