Spaces In Between
by Mari Matsutoya

Abandoned places arouse a strange nostalgic gut reaction, even if you have never set foot in a place before. Perhaps it is the knowledge that you and the faceless people who once inhabited the building are only really separated by time or perhaps the similarities you draw as you try to imagine their way of living compared to yours by picking up the pieces they chose to leave behind.

Near Oranienburg, near to the lakes in the middle of nowhere, is Grabowsee, an abandoned town consisting of a complex of housing, clinics, and facilities, where once people with tuberculosis were rounded up and taken. In the 1890's nobody was aware of the possible causes of the invisible coughing disease, but what they did know was that once people with the disease were gathered up and treated in a remote area without contact with other healthy people, often the unknown illness could be cured. In the 1920's, the buildings were taken over by Brandenburger Insurance Company when it was expanded, and thereafter the place was inhabited by the Russians as a military hospital till the mid-nineties when they left.

Now the layer upon layer of paint, crumbling attics, and grand piano missing its keys on a stage in a mound of dust can be visited by curious explorers. There are guided tours, and just recently, the location was used as a platform for 150 local artists, showcasing their street artworks to music over the whole weekend. Perfect timing, as the buildings are due to be either demolished or cleaned up, shaking off any trace of the place’s history.

There are many abandoned places in Berlin that have still not been demolished or renovated, sitting there waiting to be used. These uninhabited buildings are perfect for parties, exhibitions, concerts, etc. (not to mention the cutting of rental costs), despite the safety issues, which to the Berliners don’t seem to be such a big deal anyway, only adding to the atmosphere of the event.

For one, the Palast der Republik is a famous instance of abandoned-building-turned-concert/exhibition hall. Legendary parties took place there just before its demolition was determined. The Terracotta Army was also famously shown there. Now, the former cultural/parliamentary building of the GDR has been demolished and will be returned to its original state: the town castle.

Another is the abandoned amusement park Plänterwald, where a few parties have already taken place. This is a particularly eerie location; the garish rides and ornaments lie scattered, having once served their purpose, now limply watching visitors pass by as their history is explained to them: their owners went bust and were arrested for drug smuggling – in Aladdin’s Magic Carpet. For this place at least, there seems to be no plan of demolition and the rides and dinosaur figures just have to wait for their fate to be determined.

This web site gives extensive instructions and difficulty ratings of how to break into more abandoned places in Berlin: http://www.abandonedberlin.com. For more information about Grabowsee, see http://artbase2011.de/location.html.

Taken From SLIM Mag September Issue