Flugzeughallen
FLIEGERSTATION BERLIN-FRIEDRICHSFELDE: KARLSHORST HANGARS-ON
It’s been a while since their glory days at Fliegerstation Berlin-Friedrichsfelde in Karlshorst. The six Flugzeughallen with their 16 distinctive domed canopies (there used to be 18) are done too, it seems. Their time has passed, their future insecure. All around them is being converted to apartments.
The hangars were constructed to Josef Rank’s plans between 1916-17 for the former Fliegerstation Berlin-Friedrichsfelde, according to Christina Czymay of the Landesdenkmalamt Berlin, which allegedly exists to protect buildings of historical importance.
A single-track railway line was built to service the airfield from Kaulsdorf to the northeast in 1917. Newspapers reported at the time that freight trains were running day and night and that a second line could be built. However, rail fares became too expensive and it all came to nothing. The underused track was eventually done away with in the early 1930s.
The land was previously used by Siemens-Schuckert for building airships. Wilhelm von Siemensbegan constructing and testing airships here in 1907. People spoke of “Flugplatz Biesdorf” (Biesdorf Airfield) and “Flughafen Karlshorst” (Karlshorst Airport) but let’s just stick with “Fliegerstation Berlin-Friedrichsfelde” for simplicity’s sake. Later it became known as “Militärflugplatz Friedrichsfelde” (Friedrichsfelde Military Airfield).
Apparently the hangars feature a remarkably early use of reinforced concrete – in contrast to most at the time that were constructed using wood or iron – and they provide important architectural relics of aviation history, particularly that of military aviation.
Czymay suggests in her paper on the Flugzeughallen that the hangars’ preservation is even more important because similar facilities at Döberitz and Jüterbog were deconstructed after World War I due to the Versailles Treaty (1919), which prohibited Germany’s use of aircraft.
The Karlshorst hangars survived, though they were quiet for a while, until the Nazis took over and revived the area’s militarial tendencies by constructing the Pionierschule (Pioneer school) at Zwieseler Straße.
Nearly 20 buildings were constructed, including the main building with classrooms and a large auditorium. There were also sports facilities including a swimming pool and riding school, as well as garages for motorized vehicles. Lessons began on April 1, 1937. Apt.
The Soviets took over after the next war of course, and they made good use of the Nazis’ facilities, turning Karlshorst into their military administration HQ for Germany (SMAD). There’s talk of the Stasi and the German wing of the KGB having facilities here. Who knows? Wikileaks haven’t released the Karlshorst Cables yet.
I’m not sure what the Russians did with the Flugzeughallen in this time, perhaps they even used them, but they left them anyway once they departed in 1994.
Czymay said that the Karlshorst hangars’ preservation wasn’t guaranteed, despite their protected status. It seems Denkmalschutz really is a toothless tiger.
Despite the tiger’s worthless roars, there are plans to convert the historical hangars into apartments as part of the “Gartenstadt Karlshorst” housing complex that’s consuming the area. Nothing is sacred. But the hangars are still hanging on for now.
LOCATION AND ACCESS (HOW TO FIND GUIDE)
- What: Old airplane hangars belonging to the former Fliegerstation Berlin-Friedrichsfelde, later Militärflugplatz Friedrichsfelde, an airfield that was turned to military use as people got more militant for various reasons back in the day.
- Where: Köpenicker Allee, Karlshorst, 10318 Berlin, Germany.
- How to get there: Get the S-Bahn to Karlshorst or cycle if it’s a nice day, follow the signs for the excellent Deutsch-Russisches Museum (the building where Germany surrendered for a second time after World War II, to the Soviets), and turn right onto Köpenicker Allee before you get to the museum (or go to it too, it’s worth a visit), cycle down the road a bit and take your first left. The hangars will be hanging on to your right. Here’s a map to make it even easier.
- Getting in: Find where there’s a gap in the fence close to a pole. It’s pretty obvious, just look where someone has lifted it up. Do, however, take great care on the other side of the fence as there’s a giant hole lurking that could smash up your ankle if you weren’t watching your step. Then proceed through the foliage and you’re in. You could also climb over the wall as I did on my first visit before I noticed the easier way on my second.
- When to go: Daytime is best for sightseeing, darkness for naughty behavior that might be frowned upon by middle-aged Germans. Builders are busy out the front during the day so you’ll need to avoid them. They’re not there on Sundays though.
- Difficulty rating: 3/10, quite easy. Just keep the head down, stay quiet, and you’ll be fine.
- Who to bring: Like-minded explorers, budding street artists.
- What to bring: Bier, wodka, whiskey or tequila. A camera if you want to take pictures, food if you want to eat, a stick to beat off the toothless tiger.
- Dangers: Builders out the front, nosy industrial neighbors, Polizei. No need for too much concern. Deer roam the grounds but they’re more afraid of you than you need to be of them. The scariest thing here is the crazy echo of your tiptoes as you tiptoe o o o o o o o through the hangars.
Photos (2015)
Photos (2019)
Filed 29/10/2015 | Updated 11/11/2015
Other high fliers
Tempelhof
West Berlin’s lifeline during the Soviet Blockade, Tempelhof Airport has since become the city’s biggest park. Berliners will fight to keep it that way.
Flugplatz Schönwalde
Germany’s Luftwaffe used Flugplatz Schönwalde for the war. The Soviets took over afterward and left their traces after abandoning the airfield in 1992.
Flugplatz Brand
Flugplatz Brand was strategically important for the Soviet Air Force. Thankfully its battalions of flying fighters remained on ice for the duration of the Cold War.
Heya. Map doesn’t work. Thx in advance. cheerio 🙂
Fixed! Thanks.
I live pretty close and I walk by from time to time. It looks like the halls are about to be torn down, so you adventurers better hurry. Most of the garrisons have already been turned into a housing project.
still good to visit?
The gap in the fence is closed with NATO wire, so you have to climb over the wall.
I´ve been there yesterday.. was great!
just been there, it’s really worth it
Went on Sunday ..good tip ..as there it seems a lot of building works and builders are here at the moment ..some really great art but sadly some one has decided to try and burn the place ..idiots.. great tip re fence and the hole ..it looms up quickly lol.. but be warned up by the gate some helpful soul has placed razor wire if your in the market for a shave then try it But i think it will be gone soon. Walking through the hangers is acoustic weirdness alright loved it.
did the fire damage a lot of the place? is it easy to find the spot to get in?
I was there last Friday at 4 pm. You can access the place by crawling under one of the main gates. In addition, there is a hole in the fence next to the main gate in Straße am Heizhaus. I saw a few excavators bot no construction workers. The place still looks like on the pictures above. So enjoy this place as long as you can!
really really easy to get in, we just jumped over a wall and there we were in! Pretty nice place, worth the visit!
ich war am 29.3.2016 da und bagger sind gerade am abriss
Went there yesturday, almost all the buildings are torn down. Now its mostly just piles of rubble. Construction workers were covering the whole site. There was still a hole in the fence but we didnt enter because the workers were everywhere. Maybe better to go on Sunday when they arent working.
Was there this week. There are still construction workers on the site. In the part southern of the “Strasse am Heizhaus” they are working in the front and back of the halls – no chance to enter without been seen. The hole in the fence is still there but the’ve but two large concrete blocks behind it, so if you want to get in, you have to climb over the wall (app. 170cm, so no real matter). The halls nother of the streen are behind barb wire on one side. I think you have to climb over the fence in the east. But there is only open field, you will be seen if there is traffic on the street.
We returned totally soaked and without pics. If you want to make it better, you probably come on a weekend and when it’s not raining.
how much police is there? i want to go there tomorror
I was there today (27. Oct. 2017). Went in through the main gate, which was open when I passed by. I walked around a bit, and nobody was there. It’s a cool place, but not really that much to see. But I imagine having a techno party under one of the round roofs would be awesome 🙂 Anyways, when I was there, suddenly an angry man came and asked my what I was doing there. I said to him that I just went in to see what it was becauase the gate was open. He asked me to go out or he would call the police. He said that he was there to set his security dogs looose, so I was pretty lycky he saw me before doing that an closing the gate 🙂
All in all, it’s a cool place for some light urban exploring, maybe a little photoshoot or something, but there are really not that much to see. It’s very easy to get in though, also when the gate is not open! Good luck guys!
Was there today 2018/01/15. Easy to climb over the wall. Only the buildings with the cuppolas left, but the sound is really amazing, I can not describe how cool… be careful. It seemes, that parts of it are used as material storage. Luckily no one was there, but it was a quick visit in jump and run style. Maybe sunday is a better day to go to avoid any workers. Really cooler little place
We went there today 2018/03/10. Seems there is a lot of demolishing ongoing. Some of the buildings and murals shown above do not exist anymore. Anyway multiple hangars are still in place and easily accessible by crouching under a hole in the fence. The acoustics of the hangars are amazing, bring some speakers!
Any update how the situation looks like today ? We think of having a peek this week-end if it hasn’t been demolished yet 🙂
Went there yesterday and got some amazing field recordings. Still easy to get in with the hole under the fence, still lots to see.
We went there on 10th of August (Saturday). No one else around, also no construction workers. When you turn into the street “Am alten Flugplatz” from “Köpenicker Allee”, only the hangars on your right hand side are accessible. The field on the left is now full of apartments. The empty hangars on the right are amazing though! The last hangar is full of wood and pallets so it seems pretty used. Might be good to watch out if you go there during the week. But definitely worth visiting!
The only hole in the fence I could find was quite far from the hangars, and there’s no bushes, so you would be totally visible, and the concrete wall feels too high and thin to easily climb over. I was there on a Saturday but there were too many passers-by, so I came back on a Monday but someone was driving a forklift around the site.
Visited on 2020-04-12. The concrete wall on the street “Am alten Flugplatz” is about 1.9 m tall and easy to climb, the rest of the perimeter has barbed wire fence without any entry holes. The graffiti is worth seeing, the sun shining through the glass on the east side of the buildings creates nice lighting.
Has anybody been here recently? Are the workers a problem while urbex-ing? Have a nice day 🙂
Went there last Sunday. Wait for the street to be empty and climb the lower wall or the gate next to it. Definitely bring a speaker for some music, you’ll understand why when you get inside 😉
the acoustics in that place are epic
Just got back from there. It’s still very easy to get in, you have to climb a small fence. I didn’t see anyone, but there we’re tire tracks in the snow, I don’t know if they were from the builders or some sort of security. Just go in on a sunday and you should be fine.
We’ve been there today. It was easy to climb over the wall. If you wanna go out, you can just us the door to open from the inside and walk out. It’s a green/brown door next to the bigger ones. No one was there, except a lady having lunch from the Kindergarten lol.
We went there last Saturday – the only hole in the fence has barbed wire around it, possible to get in but not easy. Climbing the concrete wall is probably a better bet.
More importantly, there was a construction worker inside who we didn’t see at first. We had a robust discussion with him about private property and land ownership, then he kicked us out (but didn’t call the police). Sundays might be a better idea.
Be careful. The owner is an asshole. If he catches you there, he will call the police 100%.
Went there 4 times. On the 4th visit the owners caught me and threatened calling police. I managed to talk myself out of it, so maybe think twice before you go. Apparently, the place is under surveillance.
went there today and got caugt by the owner and the dude hit a friend of mine and made racist comments, then called the cops and said we assultet him. the ironic thing is they are trying to get the the building demolished but still f**k up people who go there and act like f**king assholes.
Der Besitzer ist alles andere als ein Arschloch!!! Sonst gehts noch?? Sonntags ist keine gute Idee, versprochen 😉
sind nun mittlerweile auch Hunde auf dem Grundstück! Wers nicht rafft, dass es Hausfriedensbruch und damit eine STRAFTAT darstellt – sry, der hat eine Anzeige nur verdient.
Und wer, wie andere respektlose Personen auch noch handgreiflich oder gewaltätig werden möchte – Kameras sind nun auch bald installiert 🙂
Also Fotografiert es von außen, mehr ist nicht!
Sounds like an asshole to me.
Gut, der “asshole” Kommentar musste vielleicht nicht sein. Aber so wie Sie sich hier gerade verhalten… naja. Mag schon sein, dass das Betreten Ihres Grundstücks nach deutschem Recht eine Straftat darstellet, aber nichtsdestotrotz wollen 95% der Menschen, die Lost Places besuchen, einfach nur Fotos machen und ein Stück Geschichte festhalten. Hier mit Hunden oder sonst was zu drohen, ist auch nicht gerade das Gelbe vom Ei. Es gibt genug Leute, die hier nichts Böses im Sinn haben. LG
dein Charakter stinkt nach Scheisse
Walked the full perimeter today and only found one crawl hole. One company is using the open building to store goods, but the rest is very empty. Not the best lost space, but not the worst either.