Without shower, without dishwasher, without central heating. As if time had simply stood still in the 1950s - this is how Markus lives in his historic farmhouse in Talheim and has thus fulfilled his personal dream home.

The farmhouse is over 150 years old and has only been slightly modified since then. Perfect, then, for Markus, who calls himself @der_herr_nostalgiker on Instagram and, as he says, "mercilessly pulls off his nostalgic lifestyle."

The house had been empty for 20 years, run down and overgrown. But a friend thought it might be just the right project for Markus. He tracked down the owner and bought the house to lovingly restore it bit by bit. Of course, as close as possible to the original condition. To do this, he spared no effort and even cut stencils to restore existing patterns on the wall. He laid old floors that he salvaged from other houses, installed old multi-glazed windows, and had a tiled stove built. Especially on the Internet, he is always researching old vintage furniture in the style of the post-war period, in order to furnish the rooms with it.

Everything should look as authentic as possible, as if you were really in a museum or a farmhouse in 1950. His favorite things are those he can still find in the house - such as the cupboard in the bedroom or the milking machine that still hangs in its old place in the middle of the hallway. Historical pieces from his own family have also found a place, such as a guardian angel painting by his grandmother and old photographs.
Markus enjoyed looking at old photos with his grandmother when he was a child. She also told him stories about life in those times. What exactly fascinates him about them, he can't say. His passion goes back as far as he can think.

A passion that also brings with it some hardships. For in the house there is no shower, no central heating, no dishwasher. Markus has to build a fire in the tiled stove to heat the parlor in winter. Some warm air can enter the bedroom through small openings. The rest of the rooms remain unheated and cold. Going to the toilet at night in winter via the cold corridor takes quite a bit of effort. Bathing, too, does not happen at the push of a button, but has to be prepared. First, Markus has to put the zinc tub in the washroom. And the hot water doesn't just come out of the faucet; instead, there is a large kettle in which water is heated with fire. Markus then has to scoop the water into the bathtub with a bucket.

However, even a full-blooded nostalgic cannot do without some things. Markus has a smartphone so he can network and browse the Internet for historical treasures. He also has a washing machine. Because he gave up doing laundry like he used to after the first time.

Otherwise, Markus does not find it difficult to do without the comforts of modern times. He has been living like this for 20 years. He has only lived in the farmhouse for a year, but before that he lived in a similar, somewhat smaller retro house in the neighboring village. He even met his current partner, Berenice, when that house was sold. The two have been a couple ever since and she now lives in Markus' old house.

Together, the two want to set up a small vacation apartment on the upper floor of the workshop, which they will also rent out to guests in the near future. Certainly without WLAN, but with a lot of peace and a very realistic insight into the life of past generations.

A film by Katharina Kraft (director), Feline Gerhardt (camera), Louisa Markert (camera), Cécilia Marchat (sound) and Oleg Kauz (editing). Production: EIKON Media GmbH, on behalf of SWR.

00:00 Living like in a museum
01:08 Living room
02:39 Bedroom/guest room
03:32 Laundry room
04:16 Toilet
04:57 Kitchen
06:49 2nd living room
07:26 Bedroom
08:23 50s room
10:25 Workshop