Augusta Victoria
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Augusta Victoria was built in 1907 as a center for the German Protestant community in Palestine. The complex, completed in 1910, included the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Ascension with a 65-meter belltower and a hospice for Christian pilgrims. Augusta Victoria is located in East Jerusalem, on the northern side of the Mount of Olives. During World War II, it was converted into a hospital by the British. [1] The belltower remains a distinctive landmark on the East Jerusalem skyline.
The complex is named for Augusta Viktoria of Schleswig-Holstein, wife of German Kaiser Wilhelm II, who visited Jerusalem in 1898. The architect, Robert Leibnitz, was inspired by German palaces, such as the German Hohenzollern. [2] It was the first building in Palestine to have electricity. [3]
From 1920 to 1927, Augusta Victoria was the official residence of the British High Commissioner of the Palestine Mandate before British headquarters moved to Armon Hanatziv, on the outskirts of Talpiot. Under Jordanian administration, technically under UN control, it was a military hospital for soldiers from the Arab Legion[4]. It now serves as a hospital for the Arab residents of East Jerusalem. The grounds also house a guesthouse run by the Lutheran World Federation, accommodating international volunteers and guests [5]
[edit] References
- ^ LWF Jerusalem History
- ^ "Jerusalem Architecture - Periods and Styles, European Christian Buildings Outside the Old City Walls, 1855-1918," David Kroyanker, Keter, 1987 (Hebrew)
- ^ LWF Jerusalem History
- ^ Commander E H Hutchison USNR “Violent Truce: A Military Observer Looks at the Arab-Israeli Conflict 1951-1955” Chapter III The Barrel Incident p 20-30
- ^ Segev, Tom (1999). One Palestine, Complete. Metropolitan Books. ISBN 0805048480.
