The ghosts of Allenberg

The ghosts of Allenberg.
A brief history of an abandoned psychiatric hospital in East Prussia.
In 1848, in the town of Allenberg, a suburb of the East Prussian city of Velau, construction began on the buildings of a hospital for mental patients for 250 people. In 1852, the construction was completed and on September 1, the first 59 patients from the Konigsberg Hospital arrived. Throughout the entire existence of the clinic, this day was solemnly celebrated, dances and performances were held in the park.
In the 70s of the 19th century, due to new views on the treatment of the mentally ill, the hospital expanded and turned into an agricultural colony, where patients are engaged in outdoor labor and enjoy relative freedom of movement. New buildings and utility rooms were being built. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the hospital could accommodate up to 1,000 patients, as well as increased staff and expanded agricultural areas.
Due to the smallpox epidemic that began in 1909, and then famine and disease during the First World War, many patients died and in 1918, 586 people remained in the hospital. In the 20s of the 20th century, the expansion of the hospital continued, new buildings for patients were built, upper floors were built on old buildings and by 1929 the clinic housed 1400 patients.
With the coming to power of the Nazis, the development of the clinic stopped, and in 1940, the hospital buildings were transferred to the SS battalion. After the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945, this territory became part of the Soviet Union. The town of Velau became the village of Znamenskoye, Kaliningrad region. Military units were located on the territory of the former hospital for the mentally ill until 2013. Now the complex is empty and is being destroyed, there are no official excursions around it, but the Znamensky boys, for a small fee, will take you through the buildings and dungeons, tell you about the legends of this mysterious place.