In the Wallbach district, at the end of the main road, directly at the roadside, stand the two converted silo towers of the Thomann family. After the conversion work, the two old feed silos have become a real eye-catcher for passers-by and passing cars.
Since last summer and after 1.5 years of construction, 21-year-old Nina now lives in the two silos. Her grandfather Erich had built them in 1958 when he needed storage space for his cows' feed. Grass and corn used to pile up in the round buildings, but today the granddaughter lives in them with her boyfriend. Inside, the couple has an area of 20 square meters. If the outdoor terrace is included, it's 29 square meters - spread over two floors and a total of four rooms.
In the first silo there is a fully functional kitchen. Custom furniture is required for the round walls. To save space, Nina's father Karl installed fold-up chairs and a fold-up table. The silos are only 2.30 meters in diameter - so every millimeter counts.
A sliding door leads into the next silo, where the bathroom is located. In this silo, Karl installed a round window after extensive drilling work - the only window in the silo. But the highlight in the bathroom is the coin floor in the shower. Nina has lined up hundreds of coins from all over the world in a wave-like pattern. All done by hand. The coins are mostly from Grandpa Erich's collection. He worked for years at a landfill site, taking home and storing discarded items that were still of some use. This is also how the garbage museum in Bad Säckingen came into being in 1991. True to the motto: "What others throw away, we put in the museum." The museum is still located on the Thomanns' property, just a few meters from the silos.
Above the two silo towers, Nina and her dad Karl have built a little wooden house. A space-saving staircase leads upstairs to the largest room: dining room, living room and bedroom all in one. This is also where Nina stays to study and relax. She is currently training to become an office management assistant at a theater. There she also helps with the construction of the stage set. Craftsmanship and a penchant for unusual designs are passed down from generation to generation in the Thomann family.
A film by Cécilia Marchat (editor), Feline Gerhardt (camera), Tobias Neufeldt (sound) and Andrea Grumbt (editor). Production: EIKON Media GmbH, on behalf of SWR.
0:00 Living in the feed silo
0:45 Bathroom
2:21 Kitchen
3:11 Staircase
3:52 Living, dining and sleeping area
8:10 Balcony
8:54 Laundry and storage room
9:49 The silo from outside