This would have served well as the hive of service to attend to Tempelhof's elite in days past.
During the war years, The HQ was sadly occupied by the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP or Nazi Party) and repurposed to include a radio room and the living quarters of Hans Fehrer - former Ortsgruppenleiter of the NSDAP and Inselkommandant of Tempelhof.
He was later to be found dead from a shot to the head. The scene of his tragic demise at his desk has been kept largely intact despite the latest change in management.
There is also a sort of poetry to the idea that the new regime works its way around the scars of the old one.
Today, die Kommandantur wears its sombre face still and at times cries and moans can be heard emnating from its walls but for entirely different reasons.
The building is now home to an exclusive gentleman's club whoose roots are rumoured to be far older than even the history of the island itself. The club enforces some very strict rules on etiquette and behavior; particular in relation to how men and women are to interract.
There is also tight security at the door with entrance permitted only to vetoed members and their guests which will also be elaborated on in later issues.
In photos :
The lounge and front of house in the Headquarters
In film :
A flavour of the club.
Wofür steht die Kommandantur?
what is the headquarters
In each issue of the newsletter, it is my hope to introduce a little more of the history of our island and its distinct architecture.
For the pilot issue I have chosen to research and write about the central beating heart of Tempelhof - die Kommandantur. (The Headquarters) - Ed.
Even before the war, our island was a very popular coastal resort attracting many visitors and celebrities back in the day.
While at the time of writing I could not find an article about pre-war HQ itself; with its proximity closest to the old theatre, it is likely to have been a Grand Hotel Resort.
A few architectural features hint to this; such as an almost maze like basement and extensive wine cellar.