The graduation house in Kevelaer - take a deep breath in the fresh sea breeze
The St. Jakob brine garden is located not far from the center of Kevelaer. It stands for relaxation, recuperation and time to take a deep breath. And this is particularly beneficial around the graduation house. Thanks to the aerosols - as the fine salt water droplets in the air are called - you have the feeling of walking by the sea. This relaxes the soul and the respiratory tract!
What is a graduation tower?
In simple terms, a graduation house is nothing more than a wooden frame covered with brushwood. In the past, they were also known as salt pans and were used to extract salt from brine over the centuries.
The visible wooden frame construction of the graduation house in Kevelaer is made of larch wood. It is completely untreated and therefore free of harmful substances. The finished wooden frame was then covered or filled with bundles of brushwood made from blackthorn. Blackthorn is also known as blackthorn and has become quite rare in Germany. For this reason, it is a protected species in Germany. Our blackthorn came from Poland. There it is grown on a large scale and harvested in the winter months. Why in winter? Blackthorn cut in winter does not bleed out. It is long-lived and resistant to the brine with which it is constantly in contact.
How does the graduation tower work?
The graduation house is like a giant open-air inhalatorium. Up to 7,000 liters of Kevelaer thermal brine from the neighboring brine spring trickle over the entire facility every hour. Small "taps" are used to manually regulate how much water trickles down and runs down the fine branches of the blackthorn.
The water is collected in a channel at the bottom and pumped back to the top. This is a closed system.
If too much water has evaporated, the inflow from the spring is opened. Tiny droplets, known as aerosols, form on the brushwood branches. While the water evaporates during the process, the salt remains. The salt content in the air increases and revitalizes the body with every breath. The extracted Kevelaer thermal brine has a salt content of three percent and is graded up to 15 % in the graduation works.
To prevent the high-grade brine from attacking the concrete and seeping into the ground, the brine pool was given a special coating.
What is special about Kevelaer?
The large open-air inhalatorium in the St. Jakob brine garden is unique in Germany. With a height of twelve meters and a diameter of around 25 meters, it attracts attention from afar. But what makes it special is its shell shape and accessibility. Architect Peter Grund chose the shape of a scallop shell - the symbol of pilgrimage - for the graduation house. He got the idea from the pilgrim's shell that can be seen on the priest's house in the pilgrimage town.
The special shape makes a visit to the graduation house a special experience. Visitors can not only soak up the brine on the benches and deckchairs outside. An indoor area also invites you to linger. Not only is the aerosol content in the air higher here, as the fine salt crystals are not dispersed so quickly by the wind, it is also significantly cooler. The temperature difference is up to eight degrees in summer - a welcome cool-down on hot days.
The air to live in
You can breathe fresh air here as much as you like: A stroll along the graduation tower or through the relaxation niches inside is as healthy as a walk by the sea. Breathing in the fine droplets of salt water can prevent respiratory diseases and colds. It stimulates blood circulation in the lungs and cleanses them. The entire respiratory tract is cleansed of bacteria and allergens such as dust and pollen. Inhaling the brine not only brings noticeable relief to allergy sufferers.
