STEMWEDE (ERLEBEN.APP)
DAS STAHLBAD
A spring with highly iron-rich water was discovered in Destel. It was already known that "steel baths" had a healing effect on states of exhaustion, iron deficiency and blood disorders. They also stimulate the metabolism and help prevent premature ageing. For this reason, the spring at Destel 109, now Halingerort 6, was soon used for medicinal baths. In 1834, the steel baths had 208 spa guests. The Desteler Stahlbad was run in the same way as the farmers' baths, i.e. as a sideline with a bar license during the bathing season.
Farming remained the main occupation of the farm. in 1854, Friedrich Katenbrink took over the estate and appeared in the tax lists as the owner of the "bathing establishment". christian Lampe was appointed heir in 1888. His descendants ran the steel baths until they ceased operations in 1967. Guests came from the surrounding villages to relax in the baths. However, the chambers in which the bathtubs were located could not be heated. The bathing season therefore only lasted from late spring to the end of the summer.
The water was pumped from the well into a heatable vat in a small extension of the house using a Schwengel pump. The boiler was heated with coal or wood. The hot water was then fed through lead pipes into the tubs, which were made of bricks. There were four "bathtubs", two large ones for married couples, a single tub and a children's tub. On request, the bath water was also enriched with additives such as spruce needle essence or sulphur tablets.