Nestled in a Swiss valley, a small sanatorium lies at about 3,770
feet above sea level and surrounded by beauty. The institution was
constructed in 1905 as a private hospital to treat tuberculosis. The
5-story main building is symmetrical and decorated in Art Nouveau style;
inside were 76 patient rooms, a breakfast room, a recreation room,
sterilization rooms, and various offices.
Two large verandas faced south
towards the opposite side of the valley, and were used for heliotherapy
(light therapy) and fresh air treatments. The main building is attached
to a semicircular medical villa resting on supports, built in 1934. The
facility also includes a doctor's residence, wash house, and staff
house. In 1919 the government purchased the property for 470,000 francs
and used the sanatorium as a military hospital until 1920. Tuberculosis
treatment resumed until the gradual eradication of the disease reduced
the number of patients - the hospital was eventually shuttered in 1962.
The doctor's residence is still being lived in, however the rest of
the property has begun to deteriorate. Although the main building is in
good condition for being closed for so long, it does require some
rehabilitation work, while the laundry building is in very poor shape.
The once-grand front lawn adorned with a large fountain is now a grazing
field for a herd of goats.
* Note: the name "Sanatorio Lohner" is a pseudonym; the real name of this location is currently undisclosed.
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