Luitpoldbad Bad Kissingen

The Luitpoldbad, which is now a listed building, was built in the classicist style according to the plans of Albert Geul from Nuremberg. It is said to have housed 236 bathing cabins during its time as a public bath until 1889.
Source: hotel-zentrale.de/gehenswuerdigkeiten/Luitpoldbad-Bad+Kissingen-89.html

The Luitpoldbad in the Bavarian state spa Bad Kissingen was the largest bathhouse in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, the listed building houses the Bad Kissinger casino and several authorities.

The Luitpoldbad, the former Actien-Bad establishment, whose construction had already been approved in 1855,[1] was built at the instigation of the district magistrate and bath commissioner (spa director) Joseph von Parseval between 1868 and 1871 as a single-story, three-wing complex with a corner, open to the north - and central pavilions with initially 120 bathing cabins[2] in the 120,000 square meter Luitpoldpark (spa park) on the Franconian Saale were built in the Neo-Renaissance architectural style according to plans by the Munich architect Professor Albert Geul (1828–1898). With his application he had met the requirements of the health resort of Kissingen for bathing establishments with restaurant locations, which were specified by a jury headed by Gottfried Semper. The long sides of the building are 100 meters long and the broad sides are around 80 meters long.

The construction and operation of the property were financed by the “ Aktiengesellschaft des Badeestablishments in Kissingen ” because the state coffers were empty. Shareholders were citizens, especially doctors of the spa town. Mineral water and mud baths were offered. The initially open north side was closed from 1878 to 1880 with a Kursaal, today's Luitpold Casino, based on plans by Heinrich von Hügel. In 1897 the Actienbad was sold to the Bavarian Crown.[3] Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria, a major supporter of the royal state spa, had the two side wings added to a second floor between 1902 and 1906 and expanded to the south due to growing customer demand. The two side wings now offered space for a total of 236 bathing cabins. As part of this measure, twelve leaded glass arched windows in the contemporary Art Nouveau style were installed in the southern corner pavilions.[4] After this expansion was completed, the Actienbad and the surrounding spa park were renamed Luitpoldbad and Luitpoldpark in 1906.

But due to social change - larger hotels and sanatoriums now had the bathing facilities in-house at the request of their guests, so that the demand for a central bathhouse decreased - the Luitpoldbad was closed at the end of the 1970s and then stood empty. However, the casino with an attached restaurant remained in operation. The mineral water exercise pool[5], which was only installed in 1980 in place of the old boiler house in the inner courtyard, was also closed in 2004 and it was decided to demolish it in 2012

Source: Wikipedia