Passage to Rear Building @museum.de

Auntie calls the balcony overlooking the courtyard her "command centre." It gives her a perfect view of both houses, front and rear. She can see which staff member is heading where, and in the old days, when we were children, she used to keep an eye on us when were playing in the courtyard.

Besides, this narrow passage provides the perfect transition from the official rooms in the front building – which include the café on the ground floor, the parlour and Herr Werth's music room with the piano for practising –

and the private rooms in the rear house. The turquoise bathroom, for example, is Auntie's pride and joy. "Such a beautiful bathroom! And my big bathtub! Pure bliss!” she always says.

But as for the bedrooms beyond, that is, the rooms immediately on your left....

… they’re always perishing cold, at least in winter. There are no tiled stoves here in the rear house, though some heat does rise up from the bakery. Still, when it's cold in winter, you’re well advised to take a hot bath in the evening, fill the hot water bottle while you’re at it ... and then jump from the bathtub straight into bed. Get under the thick feather duvet before the chill hits you!

And don't forget to brush your teeth!

All right, I won’t forget to brush my teeth!