The locations in this compilation are within the former DDR and most have a link to the post WW2 Soviet occupation which abruptly ended over 30 years ago. Hopefully this shows a glimpse into this fascinating area which still has so many direct links to the past 100 years of history. It certainly captured my imagination and the result of 4 days is just the tip of the iceberg - there is so much to see over a wide area you could probably spend 6 months exploring the various sites in and around Brandenburg. Some of the locations featured deserve their own report owing to being quite epic in their own right and others have just one or two pics of note.
After pondering over which order to put it I finally decided on (loosely) alphabetical based on how they appear in my File Manager, starting with Bagger.
Also known as the blue wonder this truly is a phenomenal beast . Built in 1964 by Lauchhammer and according to the large name plate it's identified as #258. The stats are easily found online and they are pretty awesome. Since 2002 it has sat rusting in a field, as it was simply too expensive to dismantle and too big to move any great distance.
It was a unique adventure negotiating this rusty metal maze - some steps were a leap of faith as the elements have definitely taken their toll. In the above pic you can see one of my friends in the foreground and an unknown German guy enjoying the view at the highest point. All the photos here were taken on the mobile as it was too much of a faff setting up the usual DSLR/tripod combo.
Inside the conveyor control cab, the same guy can be seen again!
All that heart-in-mouth clambering around gives you quite an appetite so we headed to the nearest town while sniggering about the direct translation for digger being misheard as bugger. We opted for a Greek restaurant, and not being familiar with said cuisine myself and faced with a menu in German, I was very thankful to my German friends to step in to save me from utter bafflement. The food, incidentally, was amazing.
Next - Ballrooms. These are found pretty much everywhere in the former DDR. In fact in one small town we visited 2 abandoned ballrooms. These were some of the many highlights for me - although there is a kind of melancholy about them I loved the faded grandeur, imagining them in their heyday full of laughter and energy.
This one was the most understated in appearance -
This one also had a bar/restaurant and living quarters - so 3 explores for the price of one!
This one had been used as a nightclub for a while since its use as a ballroom but that venture had obviously also ended.
Finally one that had quite advanced decay which for me made it all the more photogenic -
Totally unremarkable from the outside there is a very drab-looking concrete building which contains an absolute gem. This 2-lane bowling alley is seemingly frozen in time* from the era of the former East Germany.
*Apologies for the blatant cliché
Access to some locations involved nothing much more than walking in through an open door, however the former CCCP Flight school was a proper challenge. The new security firm at the time had apparently been boasting of being ruthlessly efficient so it was a real sense of satisfaction when we finally got inside. This abandoned air base orignally opened as a glider training camp. The Luftwaffe took over the site in 1933, then in 1945 the Red army took over and it was a major base until 1992 when it was handed back to Germany. Since then it has lain dormant, as a memorial to some of the major stories in the history of how modern Europe has been shaped.
Just a few of photos here of the main building (this is definitely one that could have its own report) The first photo was the last I took here and my favorite. I had packed all my gear away ready to make the exit climb out and then saw a different angle so just took a quick shot with the phone.
This photo shows how a lot of the interior was painted yellow and blue which I believe was the official colours of the Soviet air force. A bit ironic, given current events, that its the same as the Ukrainian flag (although the colours of the flag are the other way round to how it was here)
Next we have 2 schools which I believe have been left redundant since the unification of Germany. Considering this was a while ago, and how relatively easy they were to access it's surprising they weren't in worse condition.
The next one was quite austere, it was almost prison-like in places.
Although mostly empty there were fascinating remnants left from the Soviet era, for example these pictures at the top which seemed to be showing how to put on a protective suit in the event of nuclear attack.
Next up is one of the oldest powerplants in Europe, established in 1926. This also saw the usual change of hands from German to Russian and back to German again. It was briefly used as an 'events space' but ownership has changed and it is back in a state of limbo.
The main attraction in this former armoured vehicle headquarters was the mural which included the unmistakable Comrade Lenin. The style of the interior also reminded me of the buildings in Pripyat.
This is a small mortuary with a adjoining chapel of rest located within a pine forest.
The scale of some of the sites is amazing. Speremburg was for quite a while the biggest military testing area in the world. Similarly, Kummersdorf developed until it became a Soviet town in itself. Wherever the troops found themselves, infrastructure followed. Now these sprawling places are being slowly reclaimed by the forests winning back their territory.
Last but not least we have a Wasserwerk with its calming green interior. One part of the journey to here was memorable for the experience of the old East German road. We realised after a while it was better to drive on the track alongside the road itself for a smoother ride.
That's it - thanks for looking.
After pondering over which order to put it I finally decided on (loosely) alphabetical based on how they appear in my File Manager, starting with Bagger.
Also known as the blue wonder this truly is a phenomenal beast . Built in 1964 by Lauchhammer and according to the large name plate it's identified as #258. The stats are easily found online and they are pretty awesome. Since 2002 it has sat rusting in a field, as it was simply too expensive to dismantle and too big to move any great distance.
It was a unique adventure negotiating this rusty metal maze - some steps were a leap of faith as the elements have definitely taken their toll. In the above pic you can see one of my friends in the foreground and an unknown German guy enjoying the view at the highest point. All the photos here were taken on the mobile as it was too much of a faff setting up the usual DSLR/tripod combo.
Inside the conveyor control cab, the same guy can be seen again!
All that heart-in-mouth clambering around gives you quite an appetite so we headed to the nearest town while sniggering about the direct translation for digger being misheard as bugger. We opted for a Greek restaurant, and not being familiar with said cuisine myself and faced with a menu in German, I was very thankful to my German friends to step in to save me from utter bafflement. The food, incidentally, was amazing.
Next - Ballrooms. These are found pretty much everywhere in the former DDR. In fact in one small town we visited 2 abandoned ballrooms. These were some of the many highlights for me - although there is a kind of melancholy about them I loved the faded grandeur, imagining them in their heyday full of laughter and energy.
This one was the most understated in appearance -
This one also had a bar/restaurant and living quarters - so 3 explores for the price of one!
This one had been used as a nightclub for a while since its use as a ballroom but that venture had obviously also ended.
Finally one that had quite advanced decay which for me made it all the more photogenic -
Totally unremarkable from the outside there is a very drab-looking concrete building which contains an absolute gem. This 2-lane bowling alley is seemingly frozen in time* from the era of the former East Germany.
*Apologies for the blatant cliché
Access to some locations involved nothing much more than walking in through an open door, however the former CCCP Flight school was a proper challenge. The new security firm at the time had apparently been boasting of being ruthlessly efficient so it was a real sense of satisfaction when we finally got inside. This abandoned air base orignally opened as a glider training camp. The Luftwaffe took over the site in 1933, then in 1945 the Red army took over and it was a major base until 1992 when it was handed back to Germany. Since then it has lain dormant, as a memorial to some of the major stories in the history of how modern Europe has been shaped.
Just a few of photos here of the main building (this is definitely one that could have its own report) The first photo was the last I took here and my favorite. I had packed all my gear away ready to make the exit climb out and then saw a different angle so just took a quick shot with the phone.
This photo shows how a lot of the interior was painted yellow and blue which I believe was the official colours of the Soviet air force. A bit ironic, given current events, that its the same as the Ukrainian flag (although the colours of the flag are the other way round to how it was here)
Next we have 2 schools which I believe have been left redundant since the unification of Germany. Considering this was a while ago, and how relatively easy they were to access it's surprising they weren't in worse condition.
The next one was quite austere, it was almost prison-like in places.
Although mostly empty there were fascinating remnants left from the Soviet era, for example these pictures at the top which seemed to be showing how to put on a protective suit in the event of nuclear attack.
Next up is one of the oldest powerplants in Europe, established in 1926. This also saw the usual change of hands from German to Russian and back to German again. It was briefly used as an 'events space' but ownership has changed and it is back in a state of limbo.
The main attraction in this former armoured vehicle headquarters was the mural which included the unmistakable Comrade Lenin. The style of the interior also reminded me of the buildings in Pripyat.
This is a small mortuary with a adjoining chapel of rest located within a pine forest.
The scale of some of the sites is amazing. Speremburg was for quite a while the biggest military testing area in the world. Similarly, Kummersdorf developed until it became a Soviet town in itself. Wherever the troops found themselves, infrastructure followed. Now these sprawling places are being slowly reclaimed by the forests winning back their territory.
Last but not least we have a Wasserwerk with its calming green interior. One part of the journey to here was memorable for the experience of the old East German road. We realised after a while it was better to drive on the track alongside the road itself for a smoother ride.
That's it - thanks for looking.
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