German 'Hotel' Collapse

[thebard3]

Somewhere between a hotel and B&B by size, I'd say.
Link

Brad Waybright

It takes competence to recognize incompetence.

 

[Sym P. le]

The bottom floors pancaked. Very odd unless supports were removed.

Address: Robert Schuman Straße 59 54536 Kröv

 

[Murph 9000]

Purely speculative, but I wonder if those dormers in the roof were original or a modification to the structure? If they were a modification, that could be indicative of significant structural changes and additional weight up at the attic level. In particular, the 5 bays facing us in the photo above have a bit of a modern feel to them for me, on an old building.

Google Maps link for those who like to have a look around the available imagery.

The hotel's website has some interior photos. It certainly looks like an old structure, not a modern one built to look old.

As for the size of it, the huge hotels we know today are a modern thing. A long time ago, hotels/inns were more the size of this one.

 

[Sym P. le]

The east and west elevations are different (modern asymmetry) with the west units enjoying modern balconies. You might be on to something.

 

[TugboatEng]

There is quite a large crane in the last photo at the same time as many first responders. Cranes are not usually a first response which would lead me to believe there was construction occuring at the time.

 

[JohnRBaker]

Yes, I often stayed at a hotel in Cambridge, England, that had only six rooms. The last time I stayed there, this time with my wife, they had purchased the building next door and had doubled the size to 12 rooms, and to the relief of having to lug suitcases up multiple flights of stairs, they had added a 'lift lobby' (i.e. elevator). Years later, when my wife and I visited Paris, our hotel, which was a short walk from the Louvre, only had 18 rooms.

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Tug the German emergency services don't muck around.

If the fire chief wants a crane it will be there in under an hour traffic permitting and one being close and pack up time. They will be taken off jobs if requested.

And it's all socially normal

 

[human909]

And it's all socially normal

Imagine that a government and societal structure that mostly works!

Sadly a foreign concept in so much of the world including North America. And here downunder we are heading backwards rather than forwards regarding functional governments.

There is something about Northern Europe that just works. (Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Scandinavia and probably the Baltic nations.)

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

No definitely doesn't happen in Baltic nation's

Germany on the autobahn when an accident happens is quite impressive to be honest. There is no messing about, traffic organises itself so the services don't have to slow down getting to it. It's very military.

Wouldn't happen in UK.

 

[TugboatEng]

That's how it used to be here in USA. Our problem is that the roads have become so congested that it is impossible for traffic to move over. If you get out of th population centers society still functions efficiently.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

The German driving licence is rather involved. And they are not shy of removing the privilege to be able to drive.

You see it in the local news that some senior police officer has had the privilege removed.

They also do the sensible thing of removing the privilege to drive privately but state that they will retain the ability to drive on police business dependent on what the offence is.

 

[human909]

One country hands out driving license youths and treats it as an almost as an inalienable right but doesn't let you buy alcohol or (often) have visible on the street. The other country allows you to buy alcohol at 16 but more tightly controls the access to a the privilege of driver a motor vehicle.

I think the benefits are quite clear. But my country has almost an approach to driving almost as lax as the USA.

 

[JohnRBaker]

This is what it looked like when we were stopped for an accident on our recent trip to Michigan. This is at the two-miles marker, just inside Texas from New Mexico on the I-40.

July 2024 (Sony a6500, 18-135mm)

There was a fatal accident at the three-mile marker and we had to wait for two and half hours in 100˚ temps. Fortunately, it was 4:30pm and so the Sun was behind us, and there was a nice breeze and the humidity was low, so we just rolled-down the windows and waited. It was bearable, but just barely.

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

 

[Jordonlaw]

Can you guys keep to the topic please ! I'm not interested in reading about traffic jams you get in to, this part of the forum is about other stuff. Perhaps the moderators can remind people of that ?

CHE

 

[JStephen]

An update:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/dutch-man-injured-german-hotel-091121493.html