Lost Places – Spreepark Berlin – cooler than Chernobyl?

The Spreepark was once the only amusement park in Berlin, opened all year.
Built in the GDR (DDR) in 1969 around 1.7 millions people per year visited Spreepark from 1969 till 1989. At that time it was officially named VEB Kulturpark Plänterwald (Cultural park Plänterwald) and Kulti by the people. The 45m high Ferris wheel was the main attraction. A TV Show named Spuk unter’m Riesenrad (Spook under the Ferris wheel) made Kulti more popular.

Ferris wheel

On the Ferris wheel

Fasten your seatbelt

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Lost Places – Bärenquell Brewery

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The complex has been built after 1882 on behalf of the Brewery Borussia. In 1898 it was bought by the Schultheiss Brewery AG and the complex has been extended for the first time.

The Brewery produced beer and lemonade for Berlin and the surrounding area.

After the 2nd World War the name was changed several times and the breweries of Berlin were merged to VEB Berliner Brauereien (VEB Berlin Breweries). The brewery in Niederschöneweide was named Bärenquell-Brewery.

In 1991 the Henninger Bräu AG bought Bärenquell and continued the production at this area. Two years later Henninger Bräu wanted to wreck some buildings, which was denied due to monument conservation.

That’s why the 1st April 1994 the beer production was shut down, only the distribution was continued for a couple of years.

I explored that site with some friends of mine. I don’t know how many times I passed it in my life. It has been – without lying – thousands. Everytime I took the S-Bahn or drove by car into the city, I saw it from out of the window. But just as with the other abandoned buildings, I just accepted its presence and never had deep thoughts about its history or to explore the complex.

Walking around, we met “many” other people checking the buildings out. At the end we went up on the highest tower and watched the sunset over Berlin. We had a great view up there and I guess spending New Year’s Eve with some drinks, music and warm clothes can really be cool.
When it was already dark, we saw one room at the other side of the site illuminated. Though we didn’t want to go back, cause I seemed someone was living there.

Lost Places – Tuchfabrik Anton & Alfred Lehmann / VEB Berliner Metallhütten- und Halbzeugwerke

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My first urban exploration let me to a former scarf and plush factory.

Founded in 1880 by Alfred and Anton Lehmann as A&A Lehmann – Fabrik von Mohair und Seidenplüschen, Nouveautes, Shawes und Wollenstoffen. Fabrik mit Spinnerei, mechan. Webstühlen, Färberei, Druckerei, Appretur in Schöneweide bei Berlin.

They had success with their company and in 1888 the son of Anton, Richard Lehmann, started working as department chief. After his father’s death, Richard started managing the company and got involved in local politics and public departments like being patron of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gesellschaft (today Institute of Max Planck).

The world economic crises in the 1920s also effected the textile industry of Berlin. Buildings were rented to other companies.

After the Nazis gained political power and because the Lehmann family were jews, although it didn’t play a big role in their life, they escaped to England in 1939.
All family members but Richard and his wife, migrated.

Later on, when the Nazis established anti-jew laws, the Lehmann property was claimed property of the Reich. In December 1942, Richard and his wife were picked up by Gestapo and were deported to Concentration Camp Theresienstadt.

After the war, the VEB (Volkeigener Betrieb, public company) Metallhütten- und Halbzeugwerke (factory of steel work and wrought material) was founded 1st Jan 1951.

The VEB employed around 2300 people in 3 shifts and the products ranged from copper wire, pure aluminium and red brass mountings.

The damage of the environment due to emissions and impurified cooling water was really high.

In the 1950s the cultural centre “Ernst Schneller” and a kindergarten for the employees’ children had been built.

After the reunion of Germany, the production was giving up and the cultural centre was used as a discotheque “CISCH” for some more years.

I was told by different men I met on the area, that the NVA (the army of East Germany) ran a print shop and that there would be a huge tunnel system under the area.
Concerning the tunnel system I can say that it seems to be flooded...

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