Cities are constantly evolving and so buildings are inevitably abandoned as soon as they lose their usefulness. However, demolition or maintenance are often too expensive or complex, which is why many buildings are left to slowly decay. However, the loneliness of these so-called lost places has come to an end, particularly in the wake of the urban explorer movement(Urbex) that has been burgeoning for some years, especially in Berlin. She gives the decaying buildings a new meaning, explores them and decorates them with graffiti. The result could be described as anarchic museums that are curated and visited by like-minded people.
Words of warning
Please note in advance that we do not actively recommend anyone to go on an Urbex tour. You are often treading on thin legal ice on an exploration tour, as it is not always clear whether a building may be entered. Especially if it is clearly cordoned off. So please be careful and be aware of the potential consequences!
There are also some general rules of conduct that you should keep in mind:
- Leave nothing behind
- Vandalism and theft are no-goes!
- Don’t take any risks – the buildings are often dilapidated.
- Be careful and respectful. Some lost places are guarded, others are kept an eye on by neighbors.
- Does not share specific addresses for the locations
Lost Places in Berlin: Classics
As one of two nationally known lost places in Berlin, Teufelsberg deserves first place on our list. The area around the former listening station is pretty creepy for many reasons! Originally, there was no mountain here at all, but the shell of the Nazi military engineering faculty, which was never completed. After liberation from the National Socialists, the building was finally blown up and the site became one of many piles of rubble after the Second World War. The remains of as many as 15,000 houses are said to lie buried in the artificial mountain to this day, along with the stories of thousands of Berliners who once lived in them. The facility on the mountain was first used as a listening station from 1957 to 1990 and finally as an air traffic control station, but was eventually abandoned for cost reasons. Today there are guided tours of the facility.
The other well-known Lost Place is, of course, Berlin’s Spreepark. This was a popular destination for urban explorers for a long time, but is currently under construction again and is therefore, strictly speaking, no longer really lost.
Beelitz sanatoriums
Our second entry is certainly already known to many Berliners. The sanatoriums are only a one-hour drive or train ride outside the city. In this otherwise idyllic woodland area, you can find the remains of a once majestic and yet somehow eerie facility that was used as a sanatorium and a sanatorium for lung diseases. With the extremely barbaric procedures for the “treatment” of mentally ill people at the time, it is easy to understand what once took place within the walls.
If that’s not spooky enough for you, just take a look at the dilapidated buildings, which exude an enormously eerie presence. Since 2015, it is no longer necessary to break into the site to catch a glimpse. Since then, there has been a Treetop path which takes you through the treetops of the forest around the building, giving you a great view without risking your neck.
Stasi Hotel
The hotel that never became one: The collapse of the GDR came before the building could be completed. The house, also known as the MfS vacation home Buchheide, was intended to offer the state spies some peace and quiet between their eavesdropping and manipulations. In addition to 180 bedrooms, it was also to be equipped with a pool, sauna, bar and bowling area. Instead of the planned spy spa, a whole new ecosystem has developed here. Nature has reclaimed its territory – as evidenced by the trees that are fighting their way through the empty storeys.
Southern Nature Park
The Südgelände in Schöneberg is probably the easiest lost place to discover on this list. Over the years, the former railroad station has become a nature reserve – which is why some areas are not accessible. In addition to the tracks, which have not been used for years, there is also a railroad depot and a water tower to visit. After all, the steam locomotive is one of the most popular photo motifs on the southern site.
Institute of Anatomy
The perfect setting for a horror movie is the former Institute of Anatomy at the FU Berlin, which was relocated here in 1949. After the medical faculties of Berlin’s universities were merged in 2003, the building lost its official purpose. The pathology teaching rooms in the basement are particularly creepy. Old dissection tables and refrigerated compartments for test subjectsare waiting there.
Weissensee Children’s Hospital
As the photo above shows, this lost place scores much better on the decay scale than its predecessors on this list. Nevertheless, Ea clearly shows how the ravages of time are gnawing away at what is itself an ultra-modern institute, thus depicting a bittersweet memento mori. State-of-the-art technology, a park for fresh air and even its own farm to supply milk made the building the pride of Weißensee. After it closed in 1997, it became a top spot for urban explorers.
Ballhaus Grünau
The music hasn’t been playing here for a long time! in 1890, the Ballhaus Riviera in Grünau was the equivalent of Berghain today. At the Ballhaus Riviera, you could dance and party all year round. Especially after the 1936 Summer Games had given the venue a new boost. But everything has an end and so the piano has been nothing more than an untuned dust catcher since the ballroom closed in 1990.
Blub air and bathing paradise
Blub, blub, blub. This former leisure center has also gone under. Although it still contributes to leisure and fun in a certain way. One comment we found online, for example, reported that the Blub was a popular venue for raves during the coronavirus era! The fun pool in Britz was originally closed due to rat infestation and unhygienic conditions. Added to this was the enormous risk of collapse after several fires.
Iraqi Embassy
One of the most notorious lost places in Berlin is the former Iraqi embassy in Niederschönhausen, which was left behind in 1991 when the last Iraqi ambassadors left Germany. According to official law, this building still belongs to the Iraqi state, as embassy buildings have a perpetual right of use. To this day, many controversial stories surround the abandoned embassy: Was it once a refuge for terrorists? Were confidential documents from Hussein stored here? We will probably never find out, and yet the mystery remains and still attracts urban explorers who want to crack its riddles.