Abandoned Soviet Outpost Glimpses of a Forgotten, Forbidden City

[xchrom]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,800658,00.html



The town of Wünsdorf near Berlin was once the headquarters of the Soviet military in East Germany and home to some 50,000 soldiers. But after the Red Army's departure in 1994, the buildings were left to crumble. One photographer explored the grounds, and was fascinated by their silent charm.

The statue of Lenin stares grimly across the overgrown parade ground in Wünsdorf, a small town 20 kilometers south of Berlin. But the last parade here happened long ago, and Lenin's stone features are weatherbeaten and covered in lichen. Nature has taken command in this deserted place.

Few people have heard of Wünsdorf, but it used to be the biggest military base in Europe. In the 1980s, when it was the headquarters of Soviet forces in communist East Germany, it had a population of 60,000, of whom 50,000 were soldiers. When the Soviet army left in 1994, the town's population shrank to 6,000.

Wünsdorf was a garrison town long before the Soviets moved in. During World War II, it was the headquarters of the high command of the German army. Its history as a military base dates back to before World War I.

[PassingFair]

1. Thanks for posting....

Hard to believe how much ruin can occur in
so little time...

[Blue_Tires]

2. So why hasn't this been converted to something useable

like all the old U.S. installations in Germany?

I just find it strange that it would remain untouched unless the Russian government still technically 'owns' that land...

[era veteran]

4. Not all converted, Ayers Kaserne,The Rock, Swept clean

These are some pictures from 2001, not mine. Home to the 1st Brigade Third Armor Division. A good Cold War casualty. My home for 3+ years 73-76.
The buildings were there then but all gone now.

http://www.3ad.com/history/cold.war/feature.pages/ayers.2001.htm

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


This in front of my Company in the '70's.

[Blue_Tires]

5. Yeah, I shouldn't have said "all"

When I was in Frankfurt last year I saw a huge block of army-style barracks converted into apartments (no amount of dressing up could change their distinctly American look)

I just find it strange that the German government would let it sit this long unless there is some ownership issue

[era veteran]

6. At Ayers, the Germans had to clean up some major

toxic places. Bad petroleum spills as well. I think they even found an underground tank of used oil that was very old, maybe back to the Luftwaffe.

[snagglepuss]

3. Shocking this has been left to rot. Really interesting. Thanks for posting. nt