In the 1920s, Vladimir Nabokov gave tennis lessons behind the Ku’damm, where Erich Kästner also played; the courts have lain fallow since 2007—today, a forest grows there that stands in the way of the construction of 70 apartments

Behind the Schaubühne theater on Lehniner Platz, a forest now grows where tennis balls once flew over the nets. The nine historic tennis courts on Cicerostraße in Berlin-Wilmersdorf have lain fallow since 2007. Since then, nature has reclaimed the site bit by bit, transforming the former sports complex into a densely forested area. But now, of all things, this newly formed forest is causing a conflict: 70 new apartments are planned for the site. Although the construction project has already been approved, the tree population could significantly delay its implementation.

The complex is part of the residential development designed by architect Erich Mendelsohn, which was built between 1925 and 1931 in the New Objectivity style. He had the tennis courts laid out right in the middle, surrounded by apartment buildings from which neighbors could look down on the matches.

Because of their proximity to the Ku’damm, the courts were considered an institution. Erich Kästner played here, and Vladimir Nabokov earned some extra money as a tennis coach. Later, director Luc Bondy and actor Dieter Hallervorden joined them. Willy Brandt is said to have enjoyed watching the matches, and Johannes Mario Simmel is said to have written a novel in the on-site restaurant.

In 2007, the British investment firm Shore Capital purchased the facility from the State of Berlin. It has stood vacant ever since. Through the fence, you can still see the red sand surface and the white lines of the playing fields. Shrubs, trees, and weeds have overgrown the rest of the area.

The entire complex on Cicerostraße, including the sports facility, is a designated historic landmark. Residents have been fighting the development for 13 years and have even taken the matter to court. Initially, there was talk of so-called “cross-shaped buildings” with 40 residential units. Then, in early 2026, a building permit was issued for a building with 70 apartments in the courtyard. The battle for the site thus seemed all but lost.

Now the situation is changing. The Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf councilor for the environment warns that an entire forest has grown on the site. The area is therefore considered a forest, and construction would destroy it. Foresters are now tasked with deciding how to proceed. In addition, an investigative committee at the district office is to clarify how the area was classified as buildable in the first place, even though it was considered non-buildable as part of the historic monument.

• Where: Cicerostraße in Wilmersdorf, directly behind the Schaubühne theater on Lehniner Platz.
• Access: The site is fenced off and not open to the public. Only part of it is visible from the street.
• Status: It remains to be seen whether the former tennis courts will be preserved as green space or developed.

The foresters’ decision will likely determine whether the “wildly romantic wasteland,” as one newspaper once called it, will become a permanent urban forest. Until then, it’s worth taking a walk down Cicerostraße, past the fence and the remnants of the red sand surface.