The welcome reception will take place on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020 at 7 pm at the Villa Denis in Frankenstein, close to Kaiserslautern.

History: Villa Denis was built between 1845 and 1849 by Paul Camille Denis at the foot of the ruins of Diemerstein Castle in the Palatinate Forest. At that time, Paul Camille Denis was responsible for the construction of railway lines. The villa was designed in the "Italian style" with a late classicist interior. This also included wall and ceiling paintings in the Pompeian style, very similar to those in the Villa Ludwigshöhe, the King's villa in Edenkoben. Already in 1854/1855, he sold the site to the Mannheim banker Ladenburg, because Denis changed as director to the Bavarian East Railway. The Ladenburg family also used the estate as a country residence and provided it with the amenities a city dweller expected for his recreation, such as a small park and a tennis court. On April 21st, 1861, the Pfälzer Turnerbund was founded in Villa Denis. In 1907, the Ladenburg family added a western wing to the building. Eighteen years later the family sold the complex to the Evangelische Fürsorgeverein in Kaiserslautern, under whose ownership the wall and ceiling paintings were completely restored in 1995/1996. Taking a small detour via a private individual, Villa Denis finally became the property of the TU Kaiserslautern Foundation in 2006 and can nowadays be used as conference center.

The Villa Denis is a cultural monument according to the Rhineland-Palatinate monument protection law.

How to get there

From main train station: Take the S1 leaving at 6.26 pm from Kaiserslautern main train station. At the second stop, leave the train at Frankenstein (Pfalz) station. Leave the train station and turn left toward Hauptstrasse/B37. After 160 m, turn right and pass the Landgasthof Schlossberg. Follow the street for 600 m. Villa Denis will be on your right hand side. DGP2020 signs will assist you to follow the route.

How to get back

Take the S2 leaving at 9.48 pm from Frankenstein (Pfalz) station.