History from wick
Beelitz-Heilstätten, a district of the town, is home to a large hospital complex of
about 60 buildings including a cogeneration plant erected from 1898 on according to
plans of architect Heino Schmieden. Originally designed as a sanatorium by the
Berlin workers' health insurance corporation, the complex from the beginning of
World War I on was a military hospital of the Imperial German Army. During October
and November 1916, Adolf Hitler recuperated at Beelitz-Heilstätten after being
wounded in the leg at the Battle of the Somme. In 1945, Beelitz-Heilstätten was
occupied by Soviet forces, and the complex remained a Soviet military hospital
until 1995, well after the German reunification. In December 1990 Erich Honecker
was admitted to Beelitz-Heilstätten after being forced to resign as the head of the
East German government.
Following the Soviet withdrawal, attempts were made to privatize the complex, but
they were not entirely successful. Some sections of the hospital remain in
operation as a neurological rehabilitation center and as a center for research and
care for victims of Parkinsons disease. The remainder of the complex, including the
surgery, the psychiatric ward, and a rifle range, was abandoned in 2000. As of
2007, none of the abandoned hospital buildings or the surrounding area were
secured, giving the area the feel of a ghost town. This has made Beelitz-
Heilstätten a destination for curious visitors and a film set for movies like The
Pianist from 2002, the Rammstein music video Mein Herz brennt and Valkyrie from
2008.
On with some pics
couple of night shots from roof of hotel
No comments:
Post a Comment