Maj. Jon Libbesmeier, a dentist in Schweinfurt, Gerrmany, and a Halloween enthusiast, stands by one of his many creations at his haunted house on Conn Barracks in Schweinfurt. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)
Maj. Jon Libbesmeier, a dentist in Schweinfurt, Gerrmany, and a Halloween enthusiast, stands by one of his many creations at his haunted house on Conn Barracks in Schweinfurt. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)
The grave of Helga Müller is replicated at the haunted house on Conn Barracks in Schweinfurt, Germany. Legend has it that Müller, suspected of being a witch, was burned at the stake in 1610. As she was dying, she placed a curse on her grave site. Since then there have been reported sightings of her ghost every 50 years on the Halloween anniversary of her death. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)
A head hangs from the ceiling at the haunted house in Schweinfurt, Germany, that was created by dentist Maj. Jon Libbesmeier and is sponsored by the Morale, Welfare and Recreation office. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)
These gentlemen await guests at the entry of the haunted house on Conn Barracks in Schweinfurt, Germany. Turn down the lights and turn up the music, and the scene can get quite frightening. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)
A dummy monster awaits visitors in one of the 12 rooms in the haunted house in Schweinfurt, Germany, with a theme of horror films and legends. (Dan Blottenberger/Stars and Stripes)
In 1610, Helga Müller, a suspected witch, was burned at the stake. With her last words, she cursed anyone who disturbed her resting place.
Ever since then, according to legend, sightings of her ghost have been reported every 50 years, says Maj. Jon Libbesmeier. “It is 2010, and we expect to see Helga return this year for her anniversary,” he says.
And if she does, Libbesmeier has just the place for her.
Libbesmeier, his wife, Natalie, and a German friend, Arne Freienstein, have spent about 4,500 euros and countless hours since July helping prepare a haunted house in the basement of a dining facility on Conn Barracks in Schweinfurt, Germany, to serve as the site for Müller’s return.
Libbesmeir is an ideal creator for a haunted house. He is a dentist specializing in root canals at the Schweinfurt dental clinic.
“All I do is root canals, so people already are freaked out about seeing me,” he said.
After touring the basement filled with 12 rooms, each designed around a horror film or legend, there is no doubt that Müller will be pleased with her new residence where, according to Libbesmeier, “the ghouls from the horror films have been awakened by her.”
From “Hellraiser” to “Jigsaw” from the “Saw” horror film series, the haunted house is scary enough to bring out fears in anyone during October. Libbesmeier and his crew of 13 actors have made sure of that.
The house is definitely not child-friendly, unless you want them to go sleepless for the next month. But Libbesmeier has set up special times for younger kids to enjoy the haunted basement by skipping some of the more gory rooms.
Gore can be seen in one of the rooms, which is set to look like a scene from “Saw.” As you enter, you appear to be walking into a crime scene in a restaurant kitchen where corpses are hanging in plastic bags from the ceilings and plastic skeletons purchased from medical schools are mutilated and covered in cornstarch.
The massacre scene does not end there, as bloody handprints are splattered across the tiles surrounding the room.
As you enter each room, a new soundtrack is playing, reminding you of the horror film scenario you are about to embark on. In some cases, you cannot tell the live actors from the dummies, and things begin to get a little jumpy.
Libbesmeier says his passion for horror movies and Halloween began in the second grade when he and his father made a ghoulish mask as part of his costume. He has been hooked ever since. He has created other haunted houses, but does not do it on an annual basis.
He found out about Helga’s legend in Schweinfurt and knew she was scheduled to show up this year, so he figured it would be a great theme for a haunted adventure.
Helga has already made an appearance in the haunted basement. She can be seen in black lights and holographic images throughout the basement during the approximate 15-minute walk/run through.
How to get hauntedThe haunted house, a Schweinfurt Morale, Welfare and Recreation-sanctioned event, will be open Thursday through Saturday from 2-5 p.m. for children and 8 p.m. to midnight for everyone else. On Sunday, it will be open 2-8 p.m. Costs for entry to the haunted house is $7 for ages 10 and older, and $3 for 9 and younger.
For more information, call the MWR office at 09721-96-6225 or DSN 354-6225.
