Our houses

Seminars and encounters

Visser 't Hooft-Haus

The "Visser 't Hooft House" is the former barn of the ensemble. It was converted into a meeting house in 1986 and named after Adam von Trott's friend and first president of the World Council of Churches, Willem Visser 't Hooft, in 2004. This house has also been extensively renovated in recent years. Here you will find ten rooms, a large seminar room, the cozy foyer and the beautiful dining room of the complex. The old building with its characteristic half-timbered beams and wonderful views has been preserved and characterizes the warm atmosphere in the house.

Imshausen is nestled between forests and meadows. The landscape is ideal for walking, hiking and cycling. You can also visit the beautiful towns of Bebra, Rotenburg an der Fulda, Bad Hersfeld, Eisenach, Kassel and Fulda.

All rooms in the house have their own shower room and Internet access.

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The Bechstein

A brief history of the historic grand piano

Text: Ute Janßen

Objects can also tell (of) history. This is particularly true of the historic grand piano, which now stands in the entrance area of the west wing of the historic building ensemble in Trottenpark. The instrument has been shining in new splendor again since 2020, which was not the case for a long time.

For many years, the grand piano had a rather shadowy existence. Although it was tuned at fairly regular intervals and held its tuning surprisingly well despite considerable temperature fluctuations, it was literally on the sidelines. Its location was the small room adjacent to the entrance hall of the manor house, formerly known as the "music room", which is now one of the three rooms in the permanent exhibition. The ravages of time had left clear traces on its exterior: Minor damage to the music stand, for example, and significant damage to the varnish (the varnish had become dull and shabby over the years) meant that only insiders could guess that the instrument had not only sentimental value, but also considerable material value. The grand piano could not be used for concerts in the hall at this time because it did not easily fit through the door into the music room. It was therefore occasionally played by guests, and electronic pianos were often used for concerts in the hall at this time.

According to a Bechstein certificate, the grand piano was built in 1899. This can be reconstructed from the serial number, and the documents relating to this instrument can still be found in the Bechstein company archives. Eleonore von Schweinitz and August von Trott zu Solz married in Kassel in 1901. The grand piano was possibly a wedding present, it was delivered to Kassel in 1901. It later came to the manor house - presumably when the family moved into Imshausen in 1919. The heirs to the grand piano were the couple's daughters. When Vera von Trott and the community that later developed acquired the manor house, the wing remained in the house and was used by the community. In 1995, the community transferred the manor house to the "Förderverein Herrenhaus", which renovated the house and became closely associated with the Adam von Trott Foundation in 2005. The grand piano remained in the house on permanent loan.

When construction work began in 2019 in preparation for the permanent exhibition in the manor house, the grand piano was given temporary "asylum" in the commune. A short time later, a concert reading on the reception of Chopin's music under National Socialism took place in the manor house. The concert pianist David Andruss played music by Chopin on an electric piano he had brought with him. An employee of the foundation told him about the existing grand piano and Andruss spontaneously agreed to pay the instrument a visit, although he initially assumed from what he was told that the grand piano was only of sentimental value. Andruss looked at the piano and played it briefly and was spontaneously impressed by what he described as its still vibrant sound. He put him in touch with the Bechstein Center in Frankfurt and just a week later, John Patrick and Mike Franke from the Bechstein Center in Frankfurt inspected the piano. They too were skeptical at first, but after examining the piano, they were impressed and enthusiastic about the quality of the instrument and convinced that it made sense to tackle the restoration. All essential parts of the instrument, such as the frame and soundpost, were in surprisingly good condition, and a thorough restoration at the Bechstein factory in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, was highly recommended. Both the interior and the paintwork should be renewed.

Good advice was literally expensive at first. However, a generous donor was quickly found who was very keen to help the instrument regain its splendid appearance and a new voice. Before the work could begin, the ownership situation also had to be clarified. After intensive discussions, an agreement was reached with the community.

The piano returned to Imshausen in August 2020 after the west wing had been completed and thoroughly renovated. At the end of August 2021, it was officially inaugurated with a piano concert by David Andruss.