Sanatorium Simone Weber is an abandoned hospital, hence its name “Sanatorium”, located in Lay-Saint-Christophe, France. The hospital was built in 1899 by doctor Paul Spillmann to prevent a great epidemic of tuberculosis, which spread rapidly and was highly endemic in France. We prepared 30+ urbex pictures of this site.
During the First World War and the Second World War it was used as a hospital for refugees or wounded soldiers. As tuberculosis cases became rare over the years, the Sanatorium Simone Weber was transformed into a medical centre. From 1963 to 1997 three famous French doctors (Romeuf, Bertheau and Thérèse Jonveaux) worked there. In 2006 the Simone Weber building closed its doors and patients were transferred to other hospitals. There were plans to open a rehabilitation center, but building remains abandoned.
History of Sanatorium Simone Weber
It was in 1899, following a trip to Germany, when Professors Paul Spillmann and Paul Haushalter decided to provide the French region with a specific medical institution to receive and treat patients who were victims of tuberculosis.
Paul Spillmann and Paul Haushalter attended the first International Congress against Tuberculosis in Berlin which was held from May 24 to 27, 1899. The two doctors took advantage of their stay in Germany to visit several popular sanatoriums in order to perfect their knowledge of the subject and bring back sufficient material to build a German-designed sanatorium in France.
After visiting a number of hospitals for tuberculosis patients, they realized that it was expensive to build hospitals of this type in different parts of country, especially since France did not have the German social insurance system which had largely contributed to construction of the German sanatorium facilities.
However, Spillmann and Haushalter believed that such hardships must be overcome. According to their plan Sanatorium Simone Weber will receive and observe patients free of charge or in return for payment by charity institutions.
The Sanatorium Simone Weber no longer received tuberculosis patients from August 3, 1914. Throughout the World War 2, it was used by various military medical units and then as barracks for troops.
In 1972, the sanatorium was transferred into Paul Spillmann Medical Center, returned to the Nancy University Hospital. Patients with bronchial adenoma and other types of cancer were treated there. In 2006, the Paul Spillmann Center was transferred to the new building of Saint-Julien Hospital. Since then the building has been vacant and abandoned.
Urbex Sanatorium Simone Weber
There were rumors about three backpackers, who came to the abandoned Sanatorium Simone Weber for urban exploration in mid-2010s, but someone mentally ill was also in the building and allegedly killed the three young people.
The place was long reputed to be haunted, ghost hunters visited the property to come into contact with the paranormal. According to reports urban explorers expected to find vintage stuff such as aesthetic beds, retro equipment or something from the past, but unfortunately nothing left and the building is empty. It has an interesting history, but not much to explore inside.
