THE CELLS
The Prussian role model
In the design of the remand prison in Wismar, the adoption of Prussian models is unmistakable.
A comparison with a handbook from 1891, which presented the construction of remand prisons and penal institutions in detail based on Prussian models, clearly shows the origin of the basic design forms, which had already been in use for years at that time. With regard to the spatial arrangement, the site plan of the Merseburg district court and prison is shown as an example. The court and prison are located on a site enclosed by walls. There are separate courtyards for the release of prisoners and the necessities of running the prison. As stated in Wismar, the building is typically presented as "in its basic form an elongated rectangle with a central corridor", which includes an approximately equal arrangement of detention cells and other utility rooms including a guard's apartment.
The exemplary individual forms illustrated in the handbook, such as "the interior furnishings of a cell", the cell windows "raised 1.5 m above the floor" with segmental iron arches, the open staircase without risers "with iron stringers" and the "cell doors ... with observation opening" worked as a frame, also refer to the Prussian model. The Prussian building administration presented model plans for the buildings, in which the most important criteria were described and were intended to serve as a guide.
Due to the very different conditions in the respective inner-city context, basically similar structural solutions developed on this basis - particularly with regard to the ground plan - but no model building forms, as was the case with school or railroad station buildings in Prussia, for example. This was due to the desire, also expressed in Wismar, to achieve a design appropriate to the historical surroundings.
After joining the German Reich and adopting the respective legislation for the various sovereign tasks, many German states adopted the models of the Prussian building administration. This also happened in Mecklenburg.
THE CELLS
The Prussian Model
In the design of the remand prison
in Wismar, the adoption of Prussian models is unmistakable.
A comparison with a handbook from 1891, which, based on Prussian models, presented the construction of remand prisons
and penal institutions in detail, clearly reveals the origins of the basic design forms, which had already been in effect for years at that time. Regarding the spatial layout, the site plan of the Merseburg District Court, including the prison, is shown as an example.
The court and prison are located on a walled site. There are courtyards separated by functions for the release of prisoners and for the needs of the business. As described in Wismar, the building is typically presented as "an elongated rectangle with a central corridor" in its basic form, which includes an almost identical arrangement of detention cells and additional utility rooms, including a guard's quarters.
The individual forms illustrated in the manual, such as the "interior design of a cell," the "cell window raised 1.5 m above floor" with segmental arches made of iron, the open staircase without risers "with iron stringers," and the "cell doors... with observation opening" constructed as a framework, also refer to the Prussian model.
The Prussian building administration submitted sample plans
for the buildings, in which the most important criteria were identified and intended to serve as a guide. Due to the very different conditions in the respective inner-city contexts, fundamentally similar structural solutions emerged on this basis-particularly with regard to the floor plan-but no model-like building forms emerged, as was the case, for example, with school or train station buildings in Prussia. This was due to the desire, which is also expressed in Wismar, to achieve a design appropriate to the historical environment. After joining the German Empire and adopting the respective legislation for various sovereign functions, many German states adopted the model of the Prussian construction administration. This also happened in Mecklenburg.
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