The design of Altefeld

Burchard von Oettingen, with a background as Stablemaster in Trakehnen from 1895 to 1912, worked personally on every detail of the design and construction of Altefeld. He visited the great Hungarian stud farms, Kisber, Savar and Babolna to learn from their excellence. His main source of ideas, though, was the stud tradition of Trakehnen, and he sought to improve on the concepts which worked effectively there.

Altefeld was built on an “open” plan, with every stable unit far away from the others, in order to provide better isolation against infectious diseases. The living quarters of farm attendants are in direct proximity to the barns in which they work, again to protect against transmission of disease. We see from drawings that many of the stable structures are identical to those in Trakehnen. Their picturesque appearance, with clay tile roofs, gables and dormers, reflect the buildings of Trakehnen.

The most important buildings of the stable complex are the mares’ barn, for 16 Thoroughbred mares; a second mares’ barn, which accommodates 40 mares; and the foals’ barn, for 60 foals. All of these look very much like the buildings of Trakehnen, with their dimensions, gables and roofs. There is also a quarantine stable, at the outermost edge of the farm. The famous octagonal “Hengsttempelchen”, or stallions’ little palace, with its irregular-shaped paddocks, is a pattern repeated twice. Both summer stables are symmetrically connected with long avenues. One is used today as a Catholic church, while the other one unfortunately leaks.

The “Hauptbeschaelerstall” for four stallions, with pharmacy, tack room and guardhouse is divided into two areas: one for horses who live here, and the other for visitors. A long avenue leads to the stallions’ barn. The adjacent pastures are enclosed with high walls, and include a forested area, where horses can find shelter. Each stallion is given a pasture for himself. Today the stallions’ barn and is a residential building. The pastures continue to be used.

The whole farm plant was planned so as to form a self-sufficient world unto itself, with land, stables, and a house. The houses of farm workers, often double units, each had a barn for two cows, a pigpen and chicken coop, as well as a large vegetable garden.

In a departure from the pattern at Trakehnen, the houses were built as terraced houses, not as a large square structure. The intention was to provide better ventilation and more natural light in these homes. Changes were also made to allow for better heating in the residences. Like Trakehnen, Altefeld had its own school. A turbine in the river provided energy for the entire complex.

A large house was intended for the veterinarian, a person of great importance, and included an extensive pharmacy. A crematorium was on-site to receive the remains of departed horses. Fields were cultivated to supply the horses with their feed, and also to provide farm workers with grain, which was milled on the premises. Altefeld also has a spacious hotel.
At the time it was built, Altefeld represented the culmination of a national stud farm planning program. This makes it the youngest of the great stud farms of Germany. Only at Newmarket, in England, fifty years later, was a self-contained equine farm of similar form created—otherwise, Altefeld is unique in its conception.

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