Secluded in the middle of the Black Forest lies Roland's Berghaus. The old house from 1755 was completely dilapidated when he bought it in 2015 and renovated it himself - painstakingly and passionately.

It's a steep path that leads to Roland and Anja's home. Tall fir trees line the driveway to the property. No road, no houses, no immediate neighbors: Anja and Roland live in the seclusion of the central Black Forest. Roland had been looking for such a property in his homeland for several years. The mountain house had been empty for some time and was in disrepair. In 2015, Roland bought the mountain house from him and restored it. In 2018, Anja moved in. Mountain houses used to be part of the large single-roof farms of the Black Forest and were a kind of accommodation for the main farmhand of the farm and his family. From the outside, the characteristic elements of a historic single-roof farm from the Black Forest are recognizable: crippled hip roof, shingle wood facade.

During the restoration and renovation work, Roland proceeded with great sensitivity and love for the object and old craftsmanship. As head of construction and operations in a clinic, his trained eye certainly helped him. He gathered extensive information and, on the advice of the carpenter, first had a dendrochronological examination of the wooden beams carried out. Holes were drilled in various places for this purpose. The result: the house was already built in 1755.

"On the old substance one looks already humbly on it. When you consider that the tree for this beam was planted in the 17th century and today is still a supporting element of a structure in which you can live and dwell." Preserve as much as possible and do it himself - that was Roland's credo during the remodeling work. He was supported in this by his circle of friends who were talented in craftsmanship and motivated. All the materials Roland used are 100 percent natural materials, many of which he recycled.

Much of the room layout has also remained the same. The largest room on the first floor is and remains the good parlor with Herrgottswinkel and tiled stove opposite. The Herrgottswinkel is a corner pillar in the room, in the recess of which there is a crucifix or a statue of the Virgin Mary. In earlier times, this place was the most important in the house, here was prayed. Roland and Anja no longer do that in this place, but nevertheless the former use of the room should be remembered. Thanks to the restored tiled stove, this room can be nicely heated even in winter. Nevertheless, the mountain house has a central heating system.

Despite the ubiquitous dark wood and low ceiling height, Roland has managed to bring more light into the house through well-used glass surfaces. Cleaning the high windows is a bit more involved, as a large ladder is needed, but can be managed well. On the upper floor there are bedrooms, children's rooms, bathrooms. Another room is still being developed, it should function as a guest room. So there is still a lot to do.

The total costs were far below the costs for an average new EFH building, but cannot be realistically quantified due to the enormous personal contribution.

Anja and Roland found their place in the Black Forest, far away from new construction areas and in the middle of nature. In painstaking and passionate work with about 15,000 working hours, the house could be brought back into shape and the balance between comfort and tradition could be found.

A film by Cécilia Marchat (director), Feline Gerhardt (camera), Louisa Markert (sound), Matthias Wölbing (editor), Bastian Epple (editor). Production: EIKON Media GmbH, on behalf of SWR.

00:00 Old mountain house saved
00:27 Hallway
01:16 Reading room
02:07 Parlor
03:33 Living room
04:52 Kitchen
05:52 Hallway
07:16 Bedroom
08:35 Bathroom
09:29 Exterior