Hiobs-Hospital, Residential foundation in Borgfelde, Hamburg, Germany.
Hiobs-Hospital is a brick residential foundation in Hamburg's Borgfelde neighborhood built around a central courtyard with four connected wings. The 1884 complex was designed by architects Manfred Semper and Karl Friedrich Phillip Krutisch in a symmetrical arrangement.
The institution was founded in 1505 originally for patients with syphilis near Spitaler Gate as a place of medical care and relief. After about 300 years, its purpose shifted fundamentally in 1824 when it became a residential home for elderly women.
The name 'Hiobs-Hospital' references the biblical figure Job and his suffering, reflecting the building's original purpose as a place of care for the sick. Today, elderly women inhabit the shared spaces and courtyard where daily community life unfolds.
The site is accessible by public transportation and located centrally in Hamburg-Mitte district. The facility is connected with local care services and provides accommodation and support for elderly women.
A medieval crucifix from the original hospital building dating to around 1420 is preserved in the Hamburg History Museum today. This artifact is a rare remnant from the institution's earliest years and reveals the spiritual importance it held at that time.
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