The Kummersdorf Army Research Center, located in the forested region of Brandenburg south of Berlin, is one of Germany’s most historically significant and, at the same time, most mysterious military sites. For over a century , this location served as the technological heart of the German military, where weapons, vehicles, and groundbreaking technologies were tested that significantly influenced the course of modern warfare and space travel.
From Artillery to the Birthplace of Space Travel
The firing range was founded in 1874 because the previous test site in Berlin-Tegel had become too small for the German Empire’s increasingly powerful artillery. From then on, heavy artillery such as the famous “Big Bertha” was tested in Kummersdorf during World War I. After 1918, the Reichswehr continued to use the site secretly to circumvent the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles.
In the 1930s, the site gained global historical significance: under the leadership of Walter Dornberger and the young engineer Wernher von Braun, Kummersdorf became the cradle of modern rocket technology. On the “West Test Stand,” they developed the world’s first functional liquid-fuel rockets. However, as the site soon became too cramped for the ever-larger engines , rocket research moved to Peenemünde in 1937.
During World War II, Kummersdorf also became a center for tank testing (including the gigantic “Maus” tank) and the site of nuclear experiments as part of the German “Uranium Project.” After 1945, the Soviet Army took over the site and used it as a massive military base until its withdrawal in 1994.
A historic abandoned site
Today, the sprawling grounds are one of Europe’s largest military monuments, though access is severely restricted. Since large parts of the site are heavily contaminated with ammunition and ordnance due to decades of use, strict entry restrictions apply to most of the restricted area.
Nevertheless, Kummersdorf is not entirely off-limits to history buffs.The Historisch-Technisches Museum Kummersdorf e.V. keeps the memory of the site alive and offers the only opportunity to safely explore the Kummersdorf Army Testing Facility. As part of regularly organized guided tours, visitors canview selected areas such as the historic rocket test stands, oldbunker complexes, and the remains of the tank testing facility. Exploring the site on one’s own is strictly prohibited for safety reasons, but the guided tours offer a fascinating insight into this monumental and somber historical site.
