A nice and lively university town in the heart of the Estonian countryside, Tartu has really something for every kind of tourist – including those interested in aviation history. The Estonian Aviation Museum, or ‘Eeesti Lennundusmuuseum’ as they write it in the tricky local idiom, boasts a substantial and heterogenous collection of aircraft preserved in exceptionally good condition, which will not leave indifferent even the most knowledgeable aviation expert.
Having being for long a socialist republic in the realm of the Soviet Union – and today sharing a border with Russia – Estonia had access to massive surplus reserves after the end of the Cold War, so it is no surprise that Soviet aircraft are well represented in an Estonian museum. This already might appeal to western tourists, for the exotic, menacing silhouettes of MiGs and Sukhois are not often to be found except in less accessible spots in the former Eastern Bloc. Yet some more unexpected and rare models have been added over the years, including some SAAB aircraft from Sweden which are authentic collectibles.
The following photographs cover almost every plane that was there in summer 2017.
Sights
Most part of the collection has been preserved in a cleverly designed structure, made of small open-walled hangars with translucent canopies. The aircraft are illuminated by natural light, helping much when taking pictures, but they are not exposed to direct sunlight, rain or snow, which tend to damage both metal and plexiglas on the long run. Furthermore, the lack of doors and frames allows you to move around freely, and the place is not suffocating nor excessively warm.
The aircraft are basically all from the Cold War era, but some of them have outlived the end of the USSR and were retired more recently. The portraits are grouped here roughly based on the nationality of the manufacturers or aircraft mission.
Designs from the US
The American production is represented in this museum firstly by a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, operated by the West-German Luftwaffe. The General Electric J79 turbojets have been taken out of the airframe, so you can see them separately.
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom with J79 engine
A pretty unusual sight, also the antenna and electronic group in the nose cone have been taken out and are on display. This Phantom is a F-4F, a version specifically developed for West Germany from the basic F-4E. The former inventory number was 99+91.
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom Radar Avionic Targeting
Another iconic model on the menu is a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, formerly from the Italian Air Force. This exemplar is actually an Italian-built ‘S’ version, and among the latest to be retired by the Aeronautica Militare. The engine, again a J79, is on display elsewhere in the museum. An unusual crowd of instruction and warning stencils populate the external surface of the aircraft.
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Italian Air Force
Soviet Military Models
The majority of the aircraft on display were designed in the Soviet Union or other countries of the Warsaw Pact.
Two aggressive aircraft include a MiG-21 and a MiG-23. The first, present here in the colors of the Polish Air Force, is a MiG-21bis Fishbed, the latest development of this fast delta-wing fighter/light-interceptor.
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
MiG-21 Fishbed Polish Air Force
Possibly one of the most ubiquitous fighters of the jet age, the MiG-23 Flogger is part also of this collection. The aircraft you see in the pictures is a MLD variant, representing the last upgrade of this iconic fighter, which was also the basis for the very successful MiG-27 design.
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force Tumansky R27
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
It bears the markings of the Ukrainian Air Force, therefore it is likely an ex-USSR aircraft. The engine is sitting besides the aircraft, and two rocket canisters are placed beneath the fuselage, close to the ventral GSh-23 twin-barreled cannon.
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
MiG-23 Flogger Ukrainian Air Force
A less usual sight is a MiG-25 Foxbat, a super fast interceptor/recce aircraft. Conceived in the late Fifties when the race for speed was in full swing, it was developed into a high performance platform to counteract the threat of the SR-71 Blackbird. It was built around two massive Tumansky R-15 afterburning turbojets, rated at a pretty high wet thrust of 110 kN, resulting in an incredible top speed around Mach 3.2! The aircraft is pretty sizable, and you can appreciate that looking at the picture of the main landing gear – search for the cover of my Canon wide lens close to the ground and compare sizes!
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
The menacing silhouette of this huge bird, with red stars on the vertical fins and a bare metal fuselage, will likely make relive in you an ‘Iron Curtain feeling’!
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
MiG-25 Foxbat Red Army Tartu Estonia
One which will not go unnoticed is a Polish Air Force Sukhoi Su-22M4 Fitter in a flamboyant, very colored livery. This massive fighter-bomber represents the export version of the Su-17M4 built by the USSR for domestic orders.
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Despite the shape, roughly similar to that of the MiG-21 also on display, the size of this aircraft is much bigger – you might think of Su-22 as a case for a MiG-21…
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Sukhoi Su-22 Fitter Polish Air Force
Soviet bombers are represented by a pretty rare Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer, which is today still in service in Russia. The example on display bears the markings of the Ukrainian Air Force, meaning it was once a Soviet aircraft.
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
This massive twin-engined beast outsizes all other military aircraft on display. The aircraft is on display with three support tanks under the fuselage and the inner wing pylons.
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
Sukhoi Su-24 Fencer Ukrainian Air Force (ex-Soviet Red Army)
A less common sight is a Yakovlev Ya-28P Firebar, a long-range intercept version of this multi-role platform from the early Sixties. This design is very interesting, with a four-points undercarriage and a very long nose cone, where a radar system for a target-tracking and missile guidance system was located. The two turbojet engines are mounted in cigar-shaped underwing pods. The relevant sweep of the wing suggests a significant speed capability, yet many variants of this aircraft were developed to exploit also its good range performance. The antenna originally placed in the nose cone is on display besides the aircraft, which bears original Soviet markings.
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-28 Brewer-E Soviet
Soviet Transport Aircraft
Two aircraft which could not find their way in covered shelters mainly due to their bigger size, are a Tupolev Tu-134A-3 and a Yakovlev Ya-40. Both can be accessed, so you can get a view of the inside, including the cockpits.
The Tu-134 twin jet, with its distinctive glass bulge in the nose ahead of the cockpit, has been for long a ubiquitous aircraft in the USSR and in many countries of the Eastern Bloc. The exemplar on display was taken over by the Estonian company Elk Airways, created after Estonia left the USSR.
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Notwithstanding this, the aircraft betrays its Soviet ancestry and ownership in every particular, from the all-Cyrillic writings to the hammers and sickles here and there, from the design of interiors to the exotic cockpit, painted in a typical lurid Soviet green and with prominent unframed black rubber fans for ventilation.
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
Tupolev Tu-134A-3 Elk Airways Estonia
The Yak-40 is an interesting three-jet executive/small transport aircraft. The one on display went on flying for at least some good 15 years after the collapse of the wall in Berlin.
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Cockpit
Yakovlev Yak-40 Soviet Executive
Yakovlev Yak-40 Cockpit
Yakovlev Ya-40 Tartu Estonia
The internal configuration features an executive room ahead of a more usual passenger section and tail galley. The style of the cabin and of the pure analog cockpit is really outdated for todays standards!
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin Soviet
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia Executive Cabin
Yakovlev Yak-40 Tartu Estonia
A rugged workhorse still flying today in many countries is the Antonov An-2, a single propeller, radial-engined, biplane tail-dragger transport. There are two of them in the collection. One is under a shelter and can be boarded. The interiors are very basic, but the visibility from the cockpit is very good especially for a tail-dragger with an engine on the nose.
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Tartu Estonia
Antonov An-2 Cockpit
Swedish Aircraft
An unusual chapter in air museums except in Sweden is that of SAAB aircraft, which are represented in this collection by two iconic models, a Draken and a Viggen, and an extremely rare, very elegant Lansen. All are in the colors of the Royal Swedish Air Force.
The Saab 35 Draken features a very distinctive double-delta wing, and was developed in the Fifties for reaching a high supersonic speed. The design turned out to be pretty successful, and was operationally adopted primarily as a fighter by Sweden and other European countries as well.
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
The one in the collection is painted in a bright yellow livery. The infra-red pod under the nose cone of this aggressive attack aircraft looks like the lidless eye of an alien!
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force Radar
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
SAAB 35 Draken Swedish Air Force
The Viggen is a an attack aircraft from the late Sixties, developed for the domestic military needs into some sub-variants. With the JA 37 version displayed here, the Viggen went on to constitute the backbone of the intercept fleet of neutral Sweden, and was retired only in the early 2000s. The aerodynamic configuration features a prominent canard wing, and the Viggen was notably the first in such configuration produced in significant numbers.
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
SAAB JA 37 Viggen Swedish Air Force
The most unusual of all three SAAB designs on display is surely the SAAB 32 Lansen. A very neat design from the Fifties, loosely recalling the Lockheed P-80 and the Hawker Hunter, the Lansen was a jet fighter of the early Cold War developed specifically for Sweden and gaining a good success. The ‘E’ version on display was converted from the original fighter variant (‘B’) for the ECM role, and kept flying almost until the end of the 20th century. The green painting of the Royal Swedish Air Force is really stylish, definitely adding to an already elegant design.
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force with RM5/Avon engine
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
SAAB J32 Lansen Swedish Air Force
Soviet Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM)
Curiously enough, an extensive collection of SAMs is part of this rich collection. All major missiles from SA-2 to SA-6 are represented, some of them in multiple exemplars. The size of these missiles, especially the oldest, is really striking. They are stored outside, besides some cases for missile transportation, deployable radar antennas, and what appears to be a flak cannon from Hitler’s Germany – a bit of an outsider…
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-3
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
SAM Container
German Flak Cannon
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-2
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-5
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Russian SA-4 SA-6
Jet Engines
Many of the engines of the aircraft on display have been taken out of the corresponding airframes and put on display besides the plane where they used to belong, or in a dedicated part of the museum together with others. The J79 belonging to the Italian-built F-104 can be recognized from the Italian plaques on many components.
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
General Electric J79 Turbojet McDonnell Douglas Phantom engine
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
Soviet Jet Engine Tartu Estonia
General Electric J79 Lockheed Starfighter engine
General Electric J79 Lockheed Starfighter engine
Many soviet engines bear markings in Cyrillic, and one of them, a larger turbofan which does not fit in any bird on display, has been cut to show all components.
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
Soviet Turbofan Cutaway Tartu Estonia
More…
More aircraft in the collection include some Mil and Kamov utility helicopters, a BAe Hawk of the Finnish Air Force and other trainers mainly from countries of the Warsaw Pact, some of them now on the civilian register.
PZL TS-11 Iskra Polish Air Force
PZL TS-11 Iskra Polish Air Force
Crop Duster Tartu Estonia
PZL Wilga Tartu Estonia
PZL Wilga Tartu Estonia
Jodel DR-1050 Ambassador
Aero L-39 Albatros Ukrainian Air Force
BAe Hawk Finnish Air Force
Aero L-29 Dolphin
Kamov Ka-26
Mil Mi-8 Tartu Estonia
A further notable aircraft is a Dassault Mirage IIIRS from the Swiss Air Force – with multi-language French and German stencils all over.
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
Dassault Mirage IIIRS Swiss Air Force
There are also some anti-aircraft guns, armored vehicles, tanks, and other curios items to whet your appetite!
T34 Soviet Tank Tartu Estonia
Rockets Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Military Transport Tartu Estonia
Anti Aircraft Gun Tartu Estonia
Autonomous Aircraft Drone Tartu Estonia
Getting There and Moving Around
The museum can be reached 10 miles south of central Tartu on road 141, about 15 minutes by car from there. There is a free parking area nearby the entrance. As remarked, the collection is well-kept and somewhat publicized locally. There is a website with all information in English. The time required for visiting may vary from 45 minutes for a quick tour to 2.5 hours for photographers and those with a specific interest in the matter.
As mentioned in previous chapters on the same topic – you can find the first and second here – the territory of the GDR was cluttered with an uncommonly high number of military bases, run either by the local Armed Forces of the GDR (‘German Democratic Republic’) or by the Soviet Union. This was also due to the great strategic relevance of the area, placed right in the center of Europe and on the border with ‘the West’.
Soon after the reunification of the two halves of Germany and the withdrawal of the Red Army after the collapse of the USSR, most Soviet/Russian bases in Germany were deemed unnecessary by the new federal government, hence they were converted into something else. Airbases have been turned most typically into solar powerplants or, more rarely, into general aviation airports. Armored cavalry training areas have been largely cleaned up, and allocated as land for reforestation.
Despite large parts of these installations having been recycled to some other function, substantial traces – and sometimes even more – of these once prominent and populated bases can be found still today. These include many technical buildings, like aircraft shelters, hangars for maintenance, weapon storages, bunkers, … as well as housing and buildings for the families of Soviet troopers. Needless to say, this kind of stuff is of primary interest for urban explorers and war historians as well, for these places – besides being really creepy and often preserving a ‘Soviet ghost aura’ which may appeal to a part of the public… – are usually full of lively traces of the Soviet occupation, like signs in Cyrillic alphabet, murals, monuments and Lenin’s heads, which make for an interesting memento of the recent past, when the map of Europe looked pretty much different from now.
In this post you can find a pictorial description of a visit to the two airbases of Sperenberg and Finsterwalde, south of Berlin, the airbase of Grossenhain, close to Dresden, plus a quick chapter on the former tank regiment base of Zeithain, close to the sport town of Riesa – not an airbase, but convenient to visit and well worth a quick stop when going to Grossenhain. Photographs have been taken in spring 2017.
As for the second chapter, some historical photos from the collectible book Rote Plätze – Russische Miltärfluglplätze Deutschland 1945-1994 have been included to allow for a ‘now and then’ comparison. I do not own the copyright for those pics.
The Soviet airbase of Sperenberg stands out in the panorama of the facilities of the Red Army in the GDR for two reasons.
Firstly, it was not an attack base, but the primary logistic airport of the Soviets in Eastern Germany. The place was developed with air transport in mind, so differently from most bases around, there are no shelters for deadly MiGs or Sukhois ‘mosquitos’, but instead enormous open-air aprons, hangars and parking bays for Antonov and Ilyushin monster-size transports, as well as for bulky Mil helicopters. The place even bolsters a small passenger terminal for military staff, a truly unique feature. The proximity to Wünsdorf, a small town in Brandenburg which since the end of WWII and until 1994 hosted the headquarters of the Soviet Forces in Germany (covered in this post), may have played a role in defining the function of this base.
Secondarily, Sperenberg was simply shut down at the time of the withdrawal of Soviet/Russian forces, but was never converted into something else – at least at the time of writing. This makes it truly a one-of-a-kind item for lovers of ‘ghost airbases’, for here everything, including all taxiways and the runway, is still there. Nature is fiercely reclaiming much of the area, which is nowadays completely surrounded and partly submerged by a wild forest – making the silent remains of the base look even more creepy, unnatural and haunted…
The installation is also very big – similar to an average-size civil airport – , and besides the airside part, there is also an extensive array of residential buildings for the troops. For the major point of interest of the place is the preserved – for now… – airport infrastructure, I concentrated on that, neglecting the barracks and housing. This was also due to the latter being closer to the old main gate to the base, and standing to the available information there are rangers and local citizens who sometimes keep that part under watch. With only a basic knowledge of German, I think it’s better to take all countermeasures to avoid misunderstandings, thus enjoying a reasonably safe and undisturbed exploration…
Sights
In order to reduce the chance of a contact with the locals, it makes sense to intrude into the perimeter from the northeast, heading southwest directly to the center of the airport, leaving the housing part to the east. This will result in a multi-miles walk in the trees, along former service roads, now seldom used by woodcutters. Sooner or later, you will meet the original fence of the base, with concrete posts, barbed wire and an unpaved service road for service cars running all around it.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
In order to make your way through the wilderness, unless you are from that very district and have a (very) good knowledge of the area, you will need a GPS. I profitably used the Ulmon app on my iPhone. It worked perfectly, all paths were precisely indicated. The external fence around the northwest area is very well preserved. The function of the first group of buildings I came across with is not very clear. You can clearly spot them on aerial photos of the base, to the northwest of the main part of the apron, connected to the airside area with a long straight service road aligned in a northwest-southeast direction.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
I guess the facility may have been a former fuel deposit – there is a large maneuver area possibly for trucks, an inner fence for further protection, a water deposit, possibly for firefighting, and a strange array of aligned pipe ends made of concrete, pointing vertically.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Going southwards to reach the apron area, I came across an abandoned… Soviet boot, plus some more mysterious buildings, clearly blown up at a certain point in history, and possibly not built by the Soviets. These resembled in shape the cannon bunkers placed by Nazi Germany on the northern coast of France, constituting the backbone of the ‘Atlantic Wall’. Maybe residuals from an even farther back era?
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
After crossing another fence – again, concrete posts and barbed wire – and going through a really wild trail in the trees, basically not signed except for traces of animals everywhere, I appeared on the apron in the northwesternmost part of the airport, with a huge array of parking bays for transport aircraft. Reportedly Antonov An-12s and Tupolev Tu-134s used to be placed in this area, as you can see also from historical pictures.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
The proportions of the abandoned airport are really striking. Taking a closer look at many of the parking bays, it is possible to find substantial traces of the original delimiting and direction strips for aircraft. The apron is made of the typical Soviet slabs, not coated with asphalt as typical for most airports in the West.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Moving south from the parking area, which unwinds along an east-western direction – as it is clear from the aerial pictures – , walking along a connection taxiway it is possible to notice its uncommon width, which is not typical to attack bases, but necessary for a transport base operating with Soviet giants.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Accessing the southern east-western taxiway from the west, it is possible to find a very special feature of Sperenberg – the passenger terminal. The small terminal is located to the north of a dedicated apron for passenger/mail loading and unloading.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
The terminal area is made of two main buildings. One is probably older, with a large glass window looking to the apron. A gazebo and some small walkways suggest the place was intended for waiting, and for ‘quasi-civil’ operations.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
The main terminal bears the date ‘1986’. From historical pictures, you can notice that it underwent some modifications during the few years of operations, which ceased by the year 1994. In particular, the central window on the front façade, made for the baggage treadmill, was bricked up at a certain point.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
The inside of the building has been totally spoiled, except for some wallpaper on the ceiling.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
A couple of strange movable structures, possibly extendable covered passages for passenger loading operations, can be found on the apron and in the trees besides the former terminal. Also these can be spotted in one of the aerial photographs. They are full of unofficial mottos and signatures of Soviet troops, written in Cyrillic.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
From the area of the terminal it’s a – relatively – short walk to the western end of the runway.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Moving eastwards from the terminal along the southernmost main taxiway, you come across several interesting items, including a Soviet control tower and many parking bays for large helicopters.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
The only hangar on the airport can be found on a very wide taxiway connecting the two parallel east-western main taxiways. The hangar, albeit appearing rather big at a glance, was probably used for maintenance of helicopters and smaller transports, as large Soviet transports need a much bigger size. Traces of a motto on the front of the hangar, obviously in Cyrillic, can be seen today.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
This also are quite mysterious, for on the photos from the last days of operations the inscription cannot be spotted. It was probably covered in Russian, post-Soviet times, reappearing now as the paint coat is fading.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Also in the area around the hangar another control tower, possibly from an older age, can be spotted, but not accessed.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Taking again to the east along the southern taxiway, more helicopter parking bays can be found, and finally another large aircraft parking area. From pictures from the time, this area was used for parking mainly An-12s, some of them with the tail leaning over the grass. Many interesting strips and indications for aircraft can be found in this area, with writings in Cyrillic, together with strongpoints for anchoring aircraft to the ground.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
From the end of the taxiway, where more interesting signs on the ground can still be found – one of them telling ‘cars must stop here’ – it’s again pretty easy to come to the eastern end of the runway. The connection taxiway descents gently towards the runway.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Here some of the original lights can be found. Some slabs close to the end of the runway appear highly damaged, like they were stricken from above. Possibly some overweight plane heavy-landed here at some point?
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Leaving north from the eastern end of the runway, crossing both main east-western taxiways, you can point back to the fence of the airport. Going further east you would reach the housing area, which I did not explore. Going north I came across an abandoned railway track, and a railway/truck interchange area. Finally, I reached the usual barbed wire and I left in the trees. I had to walk again along a very nice multi-miles track in the wilderness back to where I had parked.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Now that I was fine with the goals of the exploration, I moved to the main gate – where you are quite exposed and it’s easier to get spotted – to take some pictures from the outside. These can be compared to an historical pic from post-Soviet times – see the Russian Eagle to the left of the gate.
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Sperenberg – Abandoned Soviet Base
Another set of exciting pictures from the air, taken during a special flight over this area, can be found in this chapter.
All in all, I would say Sperenberg was among the most interesting Soviet airbase in the GDR I’ve ever visited. You can really feel the ‘Soviet ghost aura’, for the place looks really like it was simply closed up and forgotten. And I didn’t even look at the housing part. The wilderness around is really nice to walk in spring, you will see many birds, deers and some say they have spotted boars. I walked something around 12 miles in the area, my stay lasted a full afternoon, and I noticed only a few people having a look around, far in the distance. So if you are looking for an evocative walk, mixing the pleasure of the countryside to serious, top-quality urban exploration in a former military setting, this is really a place to be!
Getting there and moving around
Sperenberg is located about 20 miles south from downtown Berlin. The unattractive village bearing this name can be conveniently reached by car, and the main gate to the base can be found to the west of it. If you don’t want to access the base from here – which may attract some unwanted attention – you may elect to go to the area of Kummersdorf a few miles north, park your car and cut through the wilderness to reach the area of the former airport. For doing that you will need a map. The Ulmon map on my iPhone was perfect for guiding me on the task, all major and almost all minor service roads were perfectly signed. Due to the size of the base, you may choose to reach the perimeter from different directions, especially if you are more interested in some part than another. It used to be a full-scale transport airport, so expect to walk a lot if you – like me – want to have a look to everything. Being placed in the deep countryside of Brandenburg, finding a parking place should not be a problem.
Grossenhain
The former base of Grossenhain, close to Dresden, has been in the focus of an important conversion plan. Much of the facilities – especially the many hangars – have been converted into something else, including busy factories and warehouses. The area of the airport has been reduced, and the majority of the original buildings – some of them dating back to the Nazi era – demolished. A small flight club operates from the southeastern quarter of the base, using the original runway. From a bird’s eye view, the area for flight operations has been sensibly reduced, but thanks to the conversion, most hangars are still in place, so it’s easy to get an idea of how the base looked like in the past.
Historical pictures show that this airbase was used for open days in the years of the GDR, and in the transition period between 1989 and the withdrawal of Russian troops.
Similarly to other bases in the GDR like Rechlin/Laerz, Jüterbog and Merseburg, this attack base hosted a model GRANIT special weapon storage (‘Sonderwaffenlager’). This is still preserved today, and makes for the most prominent feature of this base.
Sights
Three items make this base really attractive. First and foremost, a bunker for storing special weapons. Perhaps a unique case in the former GDR, the bunker has undergone a complete refurbishment, and it now appears like new.
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
The two imposing doors are preceded by a barbed wire fence. It is inaccessible, but it can be easily photographed from the outside. There is even an explanatory panel, both in German and Russian, with photographs from an older time.
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
A second sight of interest is the former gate guardian of the base. It is a MiG-17 of the Aviation of the Red Army. It is placed on a concrete post – designed in a pure Soviet-style – with writings in Cyrillic. Pictures from the day of operations suggest a different background than the rotting hovel now behind it. The gray sky on the day of my visit added to the Cold War atmosphere of the place.
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finally, another sight of interest is a wooden round table from the age of the Nazi dictatorship, used to align flight instrumentation. It is very large, and perfectly preserved. An explanatory panel can be found also besides this item.
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Grossenhain – Abandoned Soviet Base
All in all, while not a place for a real exploration – the area is very busy and not abandoned at all – Grossenhain offers some very unique items, keeping memory of its strong military past, surely worth a detour for the committed specialist.
Getting there and moving around
Grossenhain is about 20 miles north of Dresden, and just 8 miles north of world-famous Meissen – the birthplace of the Meissen pottery. The still active ‘flugplatz’ – local airport – is immediately north of this averaged-size village. Access is via the road N.101 or N.98, surrounding the airport area to the west and south respectively. There is no barrier except for the small flight club, many public roads have replaced the original taxiways and service roads. You can move in the former area of the airbase with your car and park at your convenience. Just be sure not to interfere with the many businesses in the area, especially big trucks going in and out on smaller roads.
Finsterwalde
This once prominent, very large airbase, is still in operation as a local airport. During the Cold War, this place was selected for storing nuclear warheads with a specially built facility. Other two installations of the kind existed over the territory of the GDR, namely Brand and Rechlin/Laerz.
Sights
The airport area is largely inaccessible, for the airbase is still an active general aviation airport. Among the most visible items in this part, a great example of a control tower from the years before WWII. It has been perfectly refurbished. Nearby are some very big hangars, today hosting some private business. Closer to the apron, some shelters from Soviet times are possibly used as hangars – they were shut when I visited. I could see a Transall C-160 parked outside, a really ubiquitous military transport in Germany, likely not any more managed by the Air Force.
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
The ‘ghost part’ of the base is located to the south of the airport. The ideal trailhead is a former railway station and interchange platform. From historical pictures, it’s easy to see this was very busy supplying materials to the base, where also extensive housing could be found in Soviet times.
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Going south following a former service road, still used by woodcutters and acceptably maintained at least for an easy 0.8 miles walk, you can reach the old bunker for nuclear ordnance. It is preceded by parking areas, demolished truck depots and many service roads. The assembly should have looked like the one in Brand, but most of the buildings today are gone.
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
The bunker is not interred, so the size can be appreciated from the side. Unfortunately, the bunker has been left open, and at some time in its history it must have been set on fire, so the walls inside are covered in black soot, and exceptionally dark – unfortunately I couldn’t take an acceptable picture even with a torchlight. More recently, it has been used as a dump for common waste. The area is far from hygienic, with piles of garbage here and there. Furthermore, on the outside it was covered by stupid and ignorant graffiti.
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
On the plus side, the crane for maneuvering the ordnance ahead of the main door is still in place with its original roof. Also visible is the truck unloading dock, ahead of the entrance to the bunker.
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
To the west of the area of the bunker, along the public road giving access to today’s airport, some of the original Soviet housing can be seen, apparently still inhabited in some parts. The base offers also some aircraft shelters close to the southeastern corner, but these are used as storages, and they are fenced and inaccessible.
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Finsterwalde – Abandoned Soviet Base
Another set of exciting pictures from the air, taken during a special flight over this area, can be found in this chapter.
Generally speaking, Finsterwalde deserves a visit for the still active part of the airport, and for the unique nuclear bunker – even though it is the worst preserved of the kind in the GDR, the ‘Soviet ghost aura’ can still be perceived. A visit of about 1-1.5 hour, including a walk to the bunker and back, may be enough for the entire installation.
Getting there and moving around
Finsterwalde is located about 20 miles east of Cottbus, and about 55 miles south of downtown Berlin. The town of Finsterwalde has also another GA airport, to the northwest of the urban area. The former base is located south, and can be reached looking for ‘Fliegerstrasse’ if leaving the city to the south on ‘Dresdner Strasse’, or for ‘Sudstrasse’ when leaving on the L60 to the southeast. In any case, less than 2 miles south of the city center. Parking is possible besides the control tower, or close to the former railway station. As written above, the place is not abandoned, there are small businesses all around and even some fields of solar cells. Anyway I didn’t attract any unwanted attention when exploring the abandoned building of the railway station – even though I am sure I was spotted by the cars passing by – and when heading by foot in the trees to reach the nuclear bunker.
Zeithain
Sights
The countryside around the small sleepy town of Zeithain was once busy with tank operations, with extensive training grounds dating from before WWII. The Soviets maintained the original function of the installation. More recently, the area was mostly cleaned up, almost no buildings remain and trees have grown covering the once barren area for maneuvers, but the partially fenced former military zone still hides an item of great interest from the Cold War age.
It is a complete Soviet commemorative monument. The first part is a very unusual statue of Lenin, in a somewhat informal pose with a hand in his pocket. The centerpiece is a mural with a map showing the trail followed by the Soviets to reach Berlin during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45 – which is how Russians call WWII. The mural is extremely well preserved, I would say it was refurbished at some point in recent history.
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
The third and most impressive ingredient is a 6 feet tall head of Mother Russia. I would say this is the most beautifully made Soviet sculpture I know of in the GDR. It makes for a good rival, and possibly a winning one, for the three majestic Soviet monuments in Berlin, but with less pomp and more art. Really something with an artistic value.
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
The fourth and last component of the monument is another mural with portraits of Soviet soldiers and an inscription in Cyrillic.
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
The ensemble is really impressive, the silence and remoteness of the place clearly adding to your perception of it. A walkway leading to the center of the monument can be seen still today.
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
As I wrote, there is something strange in this particular monument, for it is too well preserved for an outdoor monument left behind since at least 1994. I guess somebody has been taking care of it in more recent times. Nonetheless, nature is wild around it, and overgrown trees partially hide the perspective.
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
Zeithain – Abandoned Soviet Base
As a practical indication, I must admit I took a high risk visiting this place, cause the former perimeter of the base is fenced, and I believe the grounds are now in private hands. The original entrance to the base – you can see the original control booth and the gate – was open when I arrived, but an unlocked padlock was hanging from the door. I heard some cars and trucks moving out when I was taking pictures. So basically I think I intruded into a private business, at the high risk of remaining locked inside – together with my car… I would suggest moving in by foot, in order to make escape easier, just in case you get locked in!
Getting there and moving around
The base of Zeithain is located about 3 miles north of central Riesa, a mid-sized town in the countryside 30 miles northwest of Dresden.
Getting to the entrance of the base maybe a bit tricky, for the area under the administration of Zeithain covers an extensive part of the local countryside, so if targeted with ‘Zeithain’ your nav will probably point in the middle of nowhere and pretty far from the base.
A time-saving way to reach the place is as follows. Start from the junction between the N.98 and N.169, located east of a small town. Take to the north on the N.169. The road goes off with a gentle bend to the right immediately after the junction. Then it becomes straight, and you will have a fuel station to your right, and a road departing to the left – ‘An der borntelle’ is the name of the road. Take it as it goes straight northwest for less than half a mile, till a sharp bend to the left. At the level of the bend, a smaller road – ‘Abendrothstrasse’ – goes off abruptly to the right. Take it, and again less than 0.5 miles ahead the road splits in two, the main road going slightly to the left. Leave the main road and keep going straight. You will see a gate and a wall to your right. This is the entrance to the former training base. I skip providing any further details about how to move on from there, for as I have explained I realized this is probably an actively managed private property. Visiting and taking pictures may take 15 to 30 minutes.
Riesa
Sights
This sleepy town, mostly famous for sports than for everything else, may be interesting for the location, very close to Zeithain – see description above – and for the presence of one of the remaining statues of Lenin in the former GDR. This statue is part of the local Soviet cemetery. Such cemeteries are not so rare and scattered over the immense territory conquered by the Soviets in Europe during WWII. Besides fallen soldiers buried in war cemeteries, due to the great number of Soviet troopers and their relatives in the GDR, I guess it was not uncommon for them to be buried abroad.
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
The cemetery is still maintained today, and the statue still looked after as a part of it. This makes it pretty uncommon, for all other statues of Lenin in the GDR have been removed or abandoned. There is clearly some controversy about its placement in a public park in a town of today’s Germany, so it is possible the monument will be relocated at some point in history. For now, together with the ‘Socialist housing’ right behind it in the background of the cemetery, the monument makes for an unusual picture – a Soviet-style ‘postcard from the GDR’.
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Riesa – Soviet Monument Lenin
Getting there and moving around
The small cemetery and monument are located to the southwest of Riesa, and can be reached easily where Poppitzer Strasse and Mergendorfer Strasse meet. You can park at your convenience close by. Visiting will not take more than 10 minutes.
As pointed out in other posts on the topic – here and here -, the territory belonging to the German Democratic Republic (‘GDR’, or ‘DDR’ in German) was densely populated with military bases of all kinds, including tank bases, logistic bases and airbases. This was the result of two powerful Armies coexisting within the borders of the communist DDR – the local East-German Army and the Soviet ‘Red Army’.
Looking at a map of the Country, the density of airbases is particularly striking. Due to the strategic significance suggested by its very position in central Europe, right on the border with ‘the West’, the DDR was attributed a privileged status by the Soviet government in terms of military equipment. The number of Soviet troops stationed here was in the order of the hundreds of thousands, meaning that on most bases also housing and services for Soviet soldiers and their families had to be built in large numbers.
After the German reunification, the end of the Soviet Union and the retirement of Russian – ex-Soviet – troops by the mid-Nineties, all the bases – mostly stripped of any transportable stuff, which was withdrawn to Russia – were returned to Federal Germany. This resulted in a surplus of military hardware for the German government, which soon started a lengthy plan to convert, refurbish or demolish most of the newly acquired facilities.
Consequently, some of the former bases are now commercial airports, whereas most of them had the airside areas converted into solar powerplants. In most cases, only part of the former installations have been converted to non-military use, and huge ghost hangars, depots and housing can still be found in the premises of these airbases. What remains is sometimes of great interest for war historians and urban explorers as well – especially those bases where communist memorials with writing in cyrillic alphabet can be found, and stand out as vivid memories of a recent past, when everything was very different from now in central Europe.
Similarly to other ones on this website, this post covers with photographs and some info two Soviet airbases – Rangsdorf and Brand – visited in April 2017, and what remains of three more – Brandis, Nohra and Köthen – visited in 2023. Where in the premises of the first two much hardware could be checked out (at least as of 2017), the latter (as of 2023) have been almost completely wiped out, or left to the elements and to the spoilers to the point that only few or very damaged relics remain.
To provide some sort of ‘then and now’ comparison, I included a few pics from the wonderful book Rote Plätze – Russische Militärflugplatze Deutschland 1945-1994 by Lutz Freundt and Stefan Buttner, for which I don’t own the copyright. I recently grabbed a copy of this wonderful, out-of-print book, published in 2007 by a now defunct publisher in Berlin (AeroLit), and distributed only locally. This book is now very difficult to find, and basically a collectible item. Consequently, the price was indecent, but the maps, photos and info therein are really worth the financial effort!
The former airbase in Rangsdorf can be found on the outskirts of Berlin, actually less than 8 miles south of Schönefeld Airport. It can be reached very quickly from the highway N.10, taking through the village of Rangsdorf and reaching its the south-western corner, where a small lake with sport activities and a group of new ‘American style’ houses is being built and partially completed – the land were the new houses are standing was once part of the base.
To be honest, I had some difficulties finding a parking place, because the area is densely populated and much looked after, and most parking lots are privately owned. I finally elected to park ahead of a small kindergarten, which at the time of my visit was already closed.
What remains of the base is totally abandoned, and you will likely find sheep in the former areas of operations. When preparing your exploration, just have a look a the Google map of the site to plan your moves ahead. There are a few remaining huge hangars and service buildings to explore, and they are all in the northern part of the former airfield. The original fence with lines of barbed wire and concrete posts is still standing, but there are many spots where it is cut and broken, so getting in is not difficult at all.
Notwithstanding that you can easily access the base, the populated area around is a potential threat, for entering the buildings is formally forbidden – there is also a firefighters station close to the northern section of the fence, and you could be easily spotted from outside when you are in. So I suggest being careful in your movements.
Sights
The military airbase in Rangsdorf dates back from the years of WWII and the Nazi regime, when it was a major base for transportation of high-ranking military staff traveling by plane. It was from here that Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg, the key-character in the failed attempt to murder Adolf Hitler in July 1944, took off to reach the Wolf’s Lair in what is now eastern Poland.
When the airport fell into Soviet hands, it was soon converted into a helicopter base, due to the inappropriate size of the airfield for the standards of the jet age, and the constraints put on its development by the surrounding villages. It used to be a very active helicopter transport base until the collapse of the Wall. In the years preceding the withdrawal of the Soviet/Russian troops the place became famous as ‘The Dump’ – the Soviet helicopter fleet was rationalised, and many rotorcrafts met the scrapman here.
Approaching from the west of the complex the fenced perimeter is very irregular, and when coming in I passed at least four lines of barbed wire while walking along a straight line! Many original lamps along the fences are still in place.
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
What seems to be a large air raid shelter, or possibly a reinforced communication bunker can be found before reaching the hangars. It is really big and isolated, with traces of wiring on one side.
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Among the traces from the Soviet ‘Dump’ there are some aircraft-style seats, possibly from a big helicopter, several winches and some electric motors.
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
The two-winged building facing the grass-invaded former apron includes the control tower in the middle, and two lateral hangars. The assembly is a nice example of Nazi military design. The wooden doors and roof confirm the old age of the construction. Nonetheless, these hangars have been used also by the Soviets, as witnessed by the more modern ventilation system and traces of technical schemes and gear inside.
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
From the top floor of the old control tower it is possible to appreciate the original size of the airfield. As you can see from older pictures, only the northernmost part of the field was converted for helicopter operations. The helicopter platforms can be easily spotted, albeit half-covered by grass in the area ahead of the tower.
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
To the west of this main hangar there is a mysterious buildings with almost no windows and two pinnacles, which seem to be large twin funnels. I did not explore this thoroughly inside, as the building appeared to be in an especially bad and dangerous condition.
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
The next large hangar to the east is much bigger than the one with the tower. The construction is again pretty old, I guess again from the Thirties. Inside it is possible to find traces of mottos in big characters in cyrillic alphabet all along the wall. In older times, a famous panel with an ‘artistic’ hammer and sickle was hanging from one of the walls. This is unfortunately gone, only a barely visible trace remaining in place.
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
On one side of this big hangar a smaller service building can be found. Again, the intended function of this part of the complex is not immediately clear. I found traces of a huge table of chemical elements in Russian, like can be found in schools… but I don’t think they had a school right besides a hangar!
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Even more to the east, close to the outer wall of the base and to a still active railway, there are two more hangars. The smaller one with wooden doors is very damaged inside, whereas the one to the north is apparently more recent in construction, but it is closed. My exploration accelerated a bit from here, as I noticed activity in the houses nearby outside the fence of the base, a watchdog started barking, and I feared to be spotted! Luckily this happened almost at the end of the exploration program…
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Close to some communist-style housing, refurbished and still in use to the north of the airfield, I found a piece of wall, probably belonging to the original outer wall of the base, with celebrative writings in cyrillic – possibly names of sport teams from Soviet times.
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Rangsdorf – Abandoned Soviet Base
All in all, I would say this base has the relevant advantage it was not converted to a power plant or something else, so it is poorly guarded and not totally off-limits – at least the open air grounds. It is also close to Berlin, easy to reach in a short time, and compact in size, so you won’t need to walk much, and visiting may take less time than with other former bases – about 2 hours for me, taking all the pictures. On the other hand, the populated neighborhood of Rangsdorf makes interception by the locals more likely. While not particularly rich of communist remains, the buildings in the base are still mostly in place, so visiting can be satisfactory also for photographers interested in architecture.
Brand
Getting there and moving around
The area of the former big airbase of Brand is associated to a fairly well-known attraction of our days – Tropical Island. This amusement park, which is officially indicated as an attraction even on highway N.13, connecting Berlin to Cottbus and the border with Poland, was built inside a colossal, modern hangar, designed for airships around the year 2000. This can be spotted from quite afar.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
A large area of the former airbase is – from a viewpoint of urban exploration – compromised. The former runway has been turned into a huge parking area, whereas a luxury tropical-themed resort with bungalows and camping lots for mobile homes has been built in the western part of the airport. Most taxiways have been either recycled as alleys in the park, or literally removed. Some of the many aircraft shelters of this once prominent attack base have been converted to host other forms of business, ranging from restaurants to hay storages.
All the part connected with leisure business, which corresponds to everything north of Tropical-Islands-Allee – also named road L711 and going east from highway N.13 to the near village of Krausnick, where a small memorial to the Soviet actions in WWII can be found – is actively guarded by private guards, with their own small modern barracks close to the gate of the complex, and moving around by car.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
In striking contrast with this, shrouded in the vegetation to the south of the same road, roughly cross the street with respect to the entrance to the Tropical Island complex, it is possible to find a conspicuous amount of Soviet relics, basically unguarded. All accesses to the roads going south is physically interdicted to cars, so parking may be not obvious in the immediate vicinity of the entrance to the park. I suggest going past the gate along L711 and driving towards Krausnick to find an unofficial but safe parking spot between the roadside and the limit of the forest, away from suspicious eyes.
Another part of great interest for war historians include the storage for nuclear warheads, typical to Brand and other few bases in the GDR. This is rather distant – about 1.8 miles southeast – from the airport area and Soviet housing. The original connection road – not accessible by car – is straight and very long, with little to offer in terms of relics. For exploring that part of the site I suggest driving to Krausnick from Tropical Island, and taking the L71 pointing southwest towards the village of Schönwalde. The road runs deep in the trees, and at some point it comes about .6 mile to the site of interest. You may park on the roadside, on one of the many service roads used by woodcutters and reach the place with a quick walk following one of those trails.
Take your time studying the area in advance on Google Maps, and choose what option best suits your needs.
You may also have a look at aerial pictures of the base, taken during a special flight over the area, described in this report.
Sights
Before being turned into a civil airport and then into an amusement park, Brand was one of the largest Soviet bases in the GDR, with flocks of MiG-21, 23, 27 stationing here, as well as Sukhoi Su-15 and even Su-27 in the final years of operation. Most notably, the base was selected already in the 1960s for storing air-launched nuclear warheads – together with Finsterwalde and Rechlin/Lärz (see this post). This led to the construction of a purpose-built reinforced storage bunker, which can still be seen. As pointed out before, there are two main focus areas in a visit to this installation.
The first is the ghost town for the troops once stationed here, and for their families. This is incredibly close to Tropical Island, but the contrast between the aura of these two places couldn’t be more striking!
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
There are residential buildings from various Soviet models, mostly three-four storeys buildings possibly from the Fifties-Sixties, but also some more imposing pre-fabricated buildings possibly dating from as recently as the Eighties.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Walking alone in this once lively village, with traces of playgrounds, mailboxes, lamps along walkways now invaded by vegetation, and even a swimming pool with some dead water in it, was for me one of the weirdest and creepiest experiences ever!
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Unfortunately, from the pics you can’t feel the unreal silence where the place was immersed – the only sounds were those of the wind blowing in the trees and of some door slamming somewhere within the buildings… you would expect a zombie, some ghost troopers or a mutant monster coming out to meet you at every time!
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Most of the buildings are in relatively good overall condition, but almost nothing survives of the interior of the apartments – which may collapse at every time and should not be accessed. By looking closely at some tires in a playground you can spot cyrillic characters on them – maybe they come from a consumed nose wheel of a MiG? The lamps are of the usual model commonly found in Soviet bases.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
To the west of the residential area there is a similarly extensive zone with a great number of possibly former barracks or technical buildings. Almost all of them have been half-demolished by destroying the roof – I think this was made in purpose, for literally all buildings in this part have encountered the same fate. The style of these buildings suggests they are older than most of the housing. This is confirmed by comparing historical photographs of the base from above.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Among the most prominent buildings in the area, it is possible to find a former school, with an imposing façade of classical inspiration.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
To the back of the school building a small gym can be found. The roof has collapsed – or it was demolished – long ago, so that some trees are growing inside – no more basketball here!
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
A highlight of the exploration in this area is a huge mosaic wall with the head of Lenin. This item is a bit of a mystery, cause it’s hard to imagine it was originally placed where it is standing today – there is no architectural ‘frame’ supporting the monument nor a backstage completing it – it looks like a decorated floor, but placed in a vertical position!
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Anyway, the sight is of course very uncommon, and I would say unique in the panorama of communist-themed art in the former GDR.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Close by the ghost town, three aircraft shelters remain to the south of the road marking the ideal border with the ‘Tropical Island domain’. These can be accessed and explored. Among other particular features, it is possible to spot the rusty engine for opening the gates of one of them. These shelters could host aircraft up to the size of a MiG-23/27.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
The second part of interest in Brand is the bunker for nuclear warheads. As stated above, this was built really far to the southeast from the housing and from the airport, differently from the other two bases in the GDR where similar bunkers were built (see this post). A straight connection road links the two portions of the base.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Traces of the further line of inner fence built around this area can be found today. The good quality tarmac of the roads have survived to this day.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
The bunker is not accessible, the main gate blocked with a pile of land. Nonetheless, it is still visible and fairly well-preserved – even the camouflage above the front door – as you can see from a comparison with a photo from when the bunker was being used.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
On the crane-supporting structures ahead of the entrance you can find traces of cyrillic writings.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
There is a truck-loading dock nearby and several larger and smaller service buildings and garages. On some of the walls you can find ‘unofficial’ writing in cyrillic alphabet.
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
Flugplatz Brand – Abandoned Soviet Base
In both parts of the base I didn’t meet a single person during my exploration, which lasted about 3.5-4 hours in total, including the time for transfer from a trailhead to the other. When I visited, Tropical Island was closed for the season, with many people going in and out for maintenance. There were also tourists with mobile-homes and caravans, and guards with their cars. Anyway, during the exploration of the Soviet housing, which is really close to Tropical Island, I didn’t see a person, and as pointed out the place was unnaturally silent! The part of the nuclear warhead bunker is also very remote, and more obviously I didn’t come across anybody.
All in all, even though a substantial part of Brand has been converted into something else, what remains here is a great fun to visit, with tons of photo opportunities, a very intense ‘Soviet-ghost aura’ and much to see also for curious war historians. The countryside is pleasant and even though some walking is required, the place is nice to walk and very enjoyable. And if you feel tired, you can always decide to switch off your camera and enter Tropical Island for a relaxing rest-of-the-day!
Köthen
Getting there and moving around
The base was located immediately south of the homonym village, itself 10 miles southwest of the larger and famous town of Dessau. The entire premises of the former large Soviet base of Köthen have been converted for housing or into industrial facilities, currently run by several companies. The former airside of the base with the runway has been covered by a huge field of solar cells. As a result, visiting as tourists is strictly speaking not possible.
Possibly the only exception – in theory – is the southernmost hangar, which bears traces of the original camouflage, and the prominent portraits of Lenin, Marx and Engels on its side. The hangar is in the hands of a private energy-related company. The area around is fenced. I simply drove in as a visitor, from the road through the open gate, on the company premises all the way to the building. Access is from road K2074, roughly .4 miles south of the crossing with road 185, to the right when going south.
I asked for permission to a worker, and he cordially allowed me to move around a bit and take pictures outside of the building. Then I met another individual, possibly the village idiot having some time in the open air – surely not a worker, he was in shorts and accompanied by a little girl, very weird in a place like that! – who intimated me to leave, with some impolite and intimidating gesture also on the menu. Preferring not to start a litigation and attract attention from the workers, I left, with the pictures I had taken up to that moment. With a better luck, exploring this part of the former base should be easy and more rewarding. However, since moving around at will is clearly not possible on private grounds, the visit may be of just a few minutes in any case, making for an ideal quick detour for those passing by.
Sights
The Soviet base of Köthen was once a prominent part of the arsenal, hosting for long decades during the Cold War Soviet flying groups almost every type of MiG fighter, from MiG-15 down to MiG-29. The base was complemented with modern reinforced aircraft shelters since the 1960s, and a multi-purpose Granit-type bunker was erected later, for employment as a storage for munitions.
The only part of the former premises of this once large base which is today partly preserved and (theoretically, see directions above) visible is one of the main hangars. The construction, flanked by two low-rise towers, shows the actual origin of the facility, which dates to the years of the Third Reich. Actually, the area was busy with flying activities since even earlier (1920s).
The hangar is relatively low in height, with sliding doors closing it to the front, and painted in a brown-greenish camo coat. Inside, today a huge pile of manure can be found, arguably employed for some chemical process (the company holding the building runs an energy-related business).
The most interesting sight is represented by two medallions, with pretty unusual portraits of Lenin, Marx and Engels, in black over a white background. Besides the portrait of Lenin, to the left of the front door of the hangar, an inscription in Russian quoting a thought of Lenin on the army can be found as well.
Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR
The medallions, inscriptions and camouflage appear rather well kept. Even a small plaque with a German translation of the inscription can be found.
Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Köthen – Converted Soviet base in the GDR
This witnesses an interesting example of a welcome and uncommon preservation effort, making a short visit to this facility interesting at least for the more committed Cold War historian.
Nohra
Getting there and moving around
The former Soviet helicopter base of Nohra used to take a sizable area both to the north and south of road 7, connecting Weimar to Erfurt. However, the base was accurately eradicated, and virtually no trace of it (except what remains of a half demolished helicopter hangar) can be seen to the north of the road. The territory has been returned to agriculture or taken over by industrial facilities, therefore even the original general appearance of the base is impossible to retrace.
Similarly, the area to the south of road 7 has been cleared of almost every trace from its aeronautical past. The only relics, described in the paragraph below, can be found along Pappelallee, which runs parallel to road 7, and can be accessed from its western end from road 85.
Along Pappelallee the old entrance to the pre-existent Third Reich base, in the typical style of the 1930s, can be clearly spotted. Today, a bed & breakfast operates this gate building, which was employed also by the Soviets. Going through would give direct access to the perspective leading to the second highlight of the place, a preserved statue of Lenin. However, going through is not possible. The statue can be reached walking along the road parting to the south of Pappelallee, from a little west from the bed & breakfast. You can leave your car close to the gate buildings, away from the road, and walk along this trail. The statue is in the focus of a perspective, and hard to miss.
Going there is not unlawful, there are no prohibition sign and no fence, plus the statue is clearly preserved.
The area around the statue has been completely reforested, so no dangerous building are to be found in the area. Since some walk is involved, a visit to this site may take about 30 minutes.
Sights
The base of Nohra was established back in WWI, and was potentiated by the Third Reich Luftwaffe from 1936 onwards. By the end of WWII, it was captured by US forces, who had to hand it over to the Soviets in July, following post-war agreements.
It was then potentiated into one of the largest helicopter bases of the Soviets in the GDR, with virtually every type of Mil helicopter being flown from here over the years, including the mighty Mil-24 over the last two decades of the Cold War.
Today, as noted in the previous paragraph, the former airbase has been completely and accurately wiped out, so that its very existence could not be suspected by unaware subjects driving along the busy roads between Erfurt and Weimar.
Curiously, two small preserved portions indeed exist, making for an interesting detour when visiting the area.
The original gate buildings of the old Luftwaffe military installation can be clearly spotted along the road. The style shows the typical features and elegance of German architecture from pre-WWII period – totally incompatible with the generally shabby appearance of Soviet architectures from the post-war period.
The original gate facility is today privately owned. However, when open, the gate between the two wings of the facility allow to spot a statue of Lenin, placed to the far end of an alley departing from the gate.
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Luckily, access to the statue is possible with a short walk (see paragraph with directions above). The statue today is basically in a small forest of trees, and its location appears quite inexplicable. However, getting closer to it and moving around, traces of painted signs on a small network of asphalt roads witness the existence of a populated area once around its location. Clearly, with all buildings demolished and tall trees in their place, the scenery is not any more typical for a statue of Lenin…
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Interestingly, the statue has been actively preserved – an unusual sight in the GDR panorama. The communist leader is portrayed in its typical appearance, moving forward in a proactive attitude. To the back of the statue, a curtain wall painted in crimson is likely part of the original installation.
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
The quality of the statue appears pretty good, when zooming on it.
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Nohra – Former Soviet base in the GDR
All in all, despite the complete disappearance of Nohra, this preserved fragment represents an important trace of a significant chapter in the history of this area, otherwise irreversibly released into oblivion.
Brandis/Waldpolenz
Getting there and moving around
Brandis is located about 10 miles west of Leipzig city center, immediately west of the homonym village.
Differently from most former Soviet bases in the GDR, what remains of Brandis – i.e. what was not taken over by solar cells and private companies – has been left free to explore for the general public. Therefore, access to the few buildings still standing on site – which include some big old hangars, as well as technical buildings, housing and more – is possible in many ways and from many directions.
This was not my own choice, but in hindsight, the most convenient way to access the premises is getting as close as possible to the buildings in the northern part of the base and park your car, then moving around by foot. A choice for parking is where Am Alten Flugplatz changes name into Falkenallee. Car access to the latter is impeded, but you can park by the obstacles put in place, and move by foot from there.
All accessible buildings are located to the north and northwest of the base. Its original premises, including the runway area and taxiways, are now mostly taken over by solar cells. For the rest they are crossed by public roads, making the perception of the original limits of the base and its original design not so evident.
The very poor condition of most buildings will not appeal much to war historians, possibly more to urban explorers. However, since the base is sizable, the time for a thorough exploration is at least 2 hours after having parked.
Sights
The base of Brandis has a complex history, as usual dating back to the Third Reich era. It was selected for the deployment of the rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me-163 Komet, and from 1944, thanks to the direct railway connection, an ambitious program for the final assembly and operation of this interceptor was started. The war ended with the defeat of Germany before the conversion was completed. Buildings from the Luftwaffe era include at least three big hangars with a wooden door, a control tower, some official buildings, and apparently a number of smaller technical buildings.
The Soviets employed the place mostly for early jets and later (from the 1960s) for transport and attack helicopters. However, from the 1970s the base was potentiated significantly (including the addition of housing and service buildings for the families of the Soviet troops), and became active with Su-25, which were stationed here until the then-Russian military left the facility in 1992. Apparently – and unusually – no reinforced aircraft shelters were ever built by the Soviets in Brandis, preferring laterally-reinforced open-air parking bays and a large open apron (the latter similar to Sperenberg, see here).
As noted above (paragraph on directions), most of the base is gone today, with a huge solar plant having covered most of the former airside, including the runway and the huge area south of it, formerly employed for helicopter operations. Furthermore, some private companies now occupy part of the area between the hangars and the tower.
Therefore, the focus of a visit is in the hangars and tower (immediately north of the former runway), the technical buildings to the west, and the housing and service buildings along the northern perimeter.
The old hangars are three. The one to the northwest of the former airside is home to a big inscription in Russian, mentioning the 28th congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Also some other inscriptions can be seen on the southern wall, barely emerging from the graffiti layer.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Apparently, in this hangar early jet drones were stationed by the Soviets in the late 1980s.
The central hangar is bigger. Its original wooden front door is pretty well preserved. Inside, the main hall is sided by technical rooms along the solid walls. Some of them are easier to access from outside through the broken windows!
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Close to this hangar, a few yards to the west, is the old control tower. Despite heavily stricken by writers and spoilers, this building is an interesting example of architecture from the Third Reich era.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Behind this main hangar and close to the tower, it is possible to retrace original internal roads of the base, thanks to the lights and the now overgrown hedges once framing them. Not far north from this area, major housing from the 1970s can be found.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
In the same area, a mystery building with a curved ceiling – a technical building of some sort – offers some relics like Soviet boots and damaged clothes.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Again close to the hangar, some pipelines and some exhausted tires can be found. The labels of the latter clearly bear Russian markings.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
A last big hangar can be found somewhat further east. The wooden door, left partly open, has been penetrated by the vegetation, creating an unusual scenery.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
An interesting sight in this hangar is an original ‘No smoking’ writing in German. This is apparently in a Third Reich era font, and may be a fascinating witness of the original tenancy of the airbase. Needless to say, the inscription now barely emerges from a thick coat of meaningless ‘works of art’…
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
The housing and service buildings along the northern perimeter of the base clearly date from different ages. The gigantic facade of some of the houses clearly betray a post-1970 building approach.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Unfortunately, all these buildings are in very poor conditions, just the walls and stairs remain, and they are literally covered in graffiti. Thanks to the severe spoiling action carried out by the writers, the ghost aura of former Soviet bases is hard to feel here – everything looks more like a rotting poor neighborhood of a big town.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
To the west of the base, possibly an old railway or truck-loading facility can be found, maybe from the Third Reich era.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Close by, an array of smaller technical buildings, apparently garages, reveal some interesting writing in old-German characters. Also these buildings are possibly from the Luftwaffe tenancy of the airbase.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Finally, a highlight of the visit is what appears to be an old school building. Here an incredible mural of a Soviet soldier honoring the Red Banner, the flag of the USSR, can be found in the hall on top of the stairs.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
A little bit of respect has been shown by the usual writers, who massively attacked all the rest of this building similar to all others. Thus this fragment of the original Soviet decoration of the airbase is still surviving. Besides the soldier are other troops, with interesting facial appearances, resembling some different ethnicity from within the USSR. Also some writing in Russian is visible in the background.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Other naive paintings can be found around this building, including 18th century characters, a few trees, and other cartoon characters, today not recognizable. Most of these innocent paintings however have been targeted by spoilers.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Along the external perimeter of the base, now not obvious to retrace, some rusty parts of the original high-security fence can still be found.
Flugplatz Brandis/Waldpolenz – Abandoned Soviet base in the GDR
Due to its strategic relevance to the Soviet empire in the years of the Cold War, the territory of the former German Democratic Republic, or ‘GDR’, experienced an uncommonly intense military presence, growing over the years from soon after WWII to the end of the Soviet Union and the retreat of Russian troops to their home Country.
The coexisting armies of Eastern Germany and of the Soviet Union each managed land, sea and air groups operating from the GDR. As a result, still today the countryside of the former communist-ruled part of Germany is full of airports – many of them abandoned or converted to solar powerplants – and former tank training camps.
Besides this hardware, leaving clear traces reaching to this day, the quick collapse of the Soviet system and the end of the Cold War generated an enormous quantity of military surplus at all levels in the mid-Nineties.
In particular, soon after reunification the People’s Air Force of Eastern Germany was merged with the West-German ‘Luftwaffe’, whose name was retained and which became the German Air Force still operating today. The result of the merger was not ideal from a logistic and supply chain point of view, with too many aircraft and helicopters with radically different designs – implying different spare parts, maintenance procedures, specialized training, … Consequently, all Soviet models, which had been the backbone of the East German forces, were soon stricken-off the military register, many of them going to private collections.
For this reason, you can often find former GDR aircraft in museums all over Europe. Clearly, many of them remained in the territory of their bygone mother Country, enriching local air collections and museums. This post is about four less-known gems of the kind close to Berlin and Leipzig. These photographs were taken during visits in 2017 and 2021.
This collection is located on the outskirts of the town of Cottbus, easily reachable about 70 miles southeast of Berlin. The premises occupied by this mainly open-air museum are to the south of the former local airport/base which was more recently converted into another solar plant. Actually, a hangar from here dating from WWII was dismounted and relocated to the state of Virginia.
The collection here is very rich, the majority of aircraft are kept in a well-maintained, non-flying condition, with a pretty large area devoted to aircraft restoration, and a well prepared and perfectly presented inside part with memorabilia, artifacts, aircraft parts, models, … – all in all, a primary attraction of the kind, well worth visiting for any aviation enthusiasts.
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
By passing the gates you will walk between a part of an Airbus A380 used for testing – a bit of an outlier for a military museum… – and an array of MiG-21, MiG-23 and MiG-27 formerly in service with the air force of the GDR.
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
The display of these aircraft side by side, the MiG-21s also in multiple different variants, is very interesting for making comparisons and spot both obvious and less evident differences between these iconic Soviet models.
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
A more rare, recently restored MiG-17 is proudly standing in front of the entrance to the main building of the museum.
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Other highlights of the collection include two Sukhoi Su-22 aircraft. One of them bears markings of the Luftwaffe, suggesting it was used for some time in the air force of reunified Germany. The difference in size between the two massive Sukhois and the sleek MiGs is apparent having them sitting close to each other!
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
On the grass closer to the former runway are some Soviet helicopters, including a very well-preserved Mil-24 attack helicopter, also in Luftwaffe colors.
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Close by, a couple of other MiGs in a bare metal colorway – one of them from Tschekoslowakia – can be spotted, together with some old western models, in the original colors of the Luftwaffe – these include an F-84, F-86, T-33 and a rare Italian G-91.
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Other less aggressive aircraft in the area include a Let L-200 twin-propeller aircraft possibly for training, a Yakovlev Yak-11 acrobatic aircraft and some other aircraft for training, observation or crop dusting.
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
A full array of service trucks from various Soviet manufacturers are aligned in an open hangar, where a Soviet anti-aircraft SA-2 missile with its light launch gantry is also present.
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
The inside collection – not the usual dirty-and-dusty collection typical of wannabe air-museums, but instead a clean and well-presented, good-level small museum in itself – shows something on the local history of the former airport, various jettisonable seats from Soviet aircraft from different times, technical schemes for maintenance and training, as well as local findings of aeronautical interest. Among the latter, some pretty rare parts of downed aircraft from WWII, both from Nazi Germany and from the Allies – including the Soviet Union.
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Also interesting was a temporary exhibition about the MiG-21 and its world-class success. The only thing I regret about the inside part is that all explanations were given in German only.
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus – Airport Museum
Some very interesting findings on the outside include a largely complete wreck of a Focke-Wulf FW190, what appears to be a bulky Napier Sabre II 24-cylinders engine, possibly from a Hawker Tempest or typhoon, a MiG-15 awaiting restoration, plus other engines and aircraft parts.
I would recommend this place for a dedicated visit about 1,5-2 hours long, especially if you are touring the area south of Berlin, very rich in terms of recent and past military history.
Getting there
Cottbus can be reached quickly by train from Berlin, but the museum is far from the town center. Going by car is definitely more convenient, a very fast highway going to the border with Poland – a few miles away – connecting Berlin and Cottbus in about 1 hour. Contact and information from their official website (in German, but basic info on opening times and location can be obtained very easily with some Google translation). Small parking nearby.
Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
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The Luftfahrtmuseum – i.e. aviation museum – in Finowfurt has taken over a part of the former Soviet airbase of Finow, about 35 miles northeast of Berlin. Over the last two decades of the Cold War, this airbase was pretty busy with high-performance Soviet MiGs, ranging from the older MiG-21 fighter-interceptor, the ubiquitous MiG-23 fighter, the rare super-fast MiG-25 interceptor, and up to the modern MiG-29.
Finow received a plethora of aircraft shelters, including the older AU-13 for MiG-21 and -23, but also AU-16(2) and AU-16(3), the former intended for the Yak-28 and MiG-25, the latter for the MiG-29. The picture below portray the relatively rare AU-16(2), with its non-circular vault, in the still-active part of the airport in Finowfurt, today a general aviation field.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
The museum, encompassing the northwestern corner of the former military premises, offers the chance to walk close and inside AU-13 shelters, with their heavy reinforced doors, self-actuated by means of motors mounted close to their own bodies, and moving on a rail.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Parked ahead of a group of such shelters, a MiG-21 and a MiG-23 make for a scenario closely resembling the days of operation of this former Soviet installation. The shelters are interspersed with former technical gear from the base, including searchlights of evident Soviet make – see the writings in Cyrillic.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
A spherical dome on top of one of the shelters may have been the case for a rotating aerial.
An Ilyushin Il-14 old two-engined transport and a Yakovlev Yak-28 bomber sit on the opposite sides of a former taxiway, typically built with large concrete slabs.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
To the far end of the museum area, a low building, possibly a former canteen or technical facility, hosts a nice collection of artifacts, which tell much about the history of Finow over the years. For instance, during the Third Reich, this airbase was involved in testing the Allied aircraft landed in emergency on German territory – models of B-17 and B-24 in the unusual colors of the Luftwaffe witness this episode.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Of course, most of the material on display is from Soviet times. An original schematic of the base, and old signs in Russian – both propaganda posters and more technical explanations – are included in this collection.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Also a few naive paintings from Soviet times have been preserved.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
An interesting collection of Soviet technical gear includes aircraft cameras for optical imagery, helmets, flying suits, as well as weapons partly dismantled possibly for instructional purposes.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Ahead of the small museum building, a statue of Lenin can be found, possibly relocated from another spot of the former Soviet base.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
On a spot nearby, anti-aircraft and theater missiles can be found together with ranging aerials – as well as an ubiquitous Antonov An-2 transport biplane.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
An imposing sight in the museum is a freshly refurbished Tupolev Tu-134, in the colors of the East German flag-carrier Interflug. It was not the case on the day of my visit, but it is likely the aircraft can be boarded on some occasions. Nearby, also a large Mil helicopter – a former transport – can be found ahead of yet another aircraft shelter.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
On display in the latter are some aircraft jet engines, as well as some communications rigs, and some explanatory panels, likely from a former technical school for air personnel.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
A particularly interesting collection is hosted in an adjoining shelter, wisely converted for the scope. It is based on relics from crashed aircraft, from the years of WWII. A very active group of aviation archaeologists operates in Finow, and this fantastic display is the result of their preservation effort.
Artifacts range from engine parts to aircraft components from all the air forces involved in WWII, and include substantial remains from the wrecks of a Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik, and a German Föcke-Wulf FW-190, a high-performing fighter manufactured in great numbers, but today sadly very hard to find even in museums.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Finally, closer to the former runway, two shelters cover a few helicopters, including some formerly in service with the Volkspolizei – the police of the GDR – as well as a MiG-15 with two seats for training, and a MiG-21.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Outside on the grass, a MiG-27 fighter bomber and a MiG-17, both in the colors of the GDR Air Force (aka NVA).
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Approaching the exit, a deployable aircraft-stopping harness for emergencies can be seen, close to a movable SAM launcher from the NVA, and a massive Sukhoi Su-22 similarly in the colors of the NVA, like those to be found in Cottbus (see above).
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
The ticket office of the museum is hosted in a former technical facility with reinforced doors, possibly a storage for special ordnance.
Former Soviet Base & Air Museum Luftfahrtmuseum Finowfurt
Thanks to the proximity with Berlin and the wealth of interesting artifacts, this museum is a highly valuable Soviet counterpart to the Westwardly-oriented museum in Gatow (on a former British airfield near Potsdam, website here). Besides a rich collection of aircraft and technical gear, complemented by a display of interesting findings from the aviation archaeology group, Finow allows to get a flavor of how a Soviet base looked like in the days of operation. For aircraft enthusiasts, a visit may easily take 2 hours or more.
Getting there
The museum is conveniently located in Finowfurt, immediately out of the highway A11 (exit Eberswalde), going from Berlin to Szczecin in northern Poland. It is less than 1 hour driving from downtown Berlin. The museum is mostly open-air, with some collections hosted in former aircraft shelters. A large free parking is available on site. Website here. Please note that credit card may not be accepted. Going with cash is recommended.
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
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The museum of Rechlin can be found in the former premises of an Army research center dating from the years of the Third Reich. It is located in the open countryside, about 80 km north of Berlin, in the vicinity of lake Müritz. Following the Soviet occupation of the area in 1945, the center went on as a technical site of the Red Army.
The museum has restored the original buildings, and set up an exhibition mainly focused on the history of German military aeronautics. The exhibition is both indoor and outdoor.
The indoor part has on display a number of German aircraft, aircraft engines and several related parts, mainly from pre-WWII or WWII. A highlight of the show is a number of reconstructed exemplars, created putting together original parts and some reproduced components. Of course, the result is now airworthy, but considering how hard to find these aircraft are today in collections, this is a rare opportunity to have a first-hand look at how these models looked like.
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
A very interesting collection of original engines and components from the Third Reich period is on display. The level of engineering sophistication reached in the years of WWII is really astonishing. It was at that time that piston power reached its top development in aeronautics. Furthermore, the first jet engines entering production date from the final stages of WWII too, and are here represented.
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Another hangar is mostly dedicated to large 1:1 mock-ups of extremely rare German designs from WWI and WWII, including a Dornier Do-335 in a push-pull configuration, which have been accurately assembled, providing a vivid portrait of how these now very rare-to-find aircraft.
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Other exhibits include Soviet-made aircraft, partly dismounted for didactic purposes.
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
In another wing, the museum displays a rich exhibition of original artifacts from the era of Soviet occupation. These include many aircraft components, jettisonable seats, helmets, several radio components, papers and pictures.
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Simulators for aircraft and helicopter cockpits are also part of the display.
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Memorabilia include everyday items, Soviet newspapers, badges and celebration plates. The page of a German newspaper, from the date of the final withdrawal of then-Russian troops back home from Germany, titles ‘Farewell, Muzhiks!’ – really a momentous event.
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
In an adjoining room, uniforms and emblems from both the USSR forces and the East-German NVA can be found in display cases.
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
The outdoor exhibition is centered on a few original aircraft and helicopters, as well as fast motorboats and other vehicles. Aircraft include a MiG-21, MiG-23, and a massive Sukhoi Su-22.
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
As for helicopters, there are a Mil-2, Mil-24 and a Mil-8 – all Soviet-made. The latter two have the main rotor blades still dismounted.
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
Luftfahrttechnisches Museum Rechlin
The research center, and today the museum, is located just about 5 km north of Rechlin/Lärz airfield, active in the Third Reich in aeronautical research – Messerschmitt Me-163 Komet rocket-powered interceptors were studied here. The airfield became a large Soviet base from 1945 to the time when the then-Russian troops left. Today the airport has been converted for general aviation use. A report from an exploration of its premises can be found here.
Getting there
This is a proportionate collection, friendly to visit for everybody, in a nice rural setting. Memories from the history of aviation in Germany before and during WWII, as well as from Soviet operations taking place in the area – an often overlooked but crucial chapter in the military history of the GDR. The exact address is Am Claassee 1, 17248 Rechlin, Germany. Official website here. Visiting may require 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.
Flugwelt Altenburg/Nobitz
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Similarly to the museum in Cottbus and Finowfurt, this collection – whose name ‘Flugwelt’ translates into ‘World of Flight’ – is built on the premises of a former airbase – Altenburg/Nobitz, 20 miles south of Leipzig. Actually this was a very active center, managed by the Soviets who operated from here in the years of the Cold War with MiG-21, 23 and 27, and was also one of those sites in the GDR selected for nuclear weapons storage. Tactical missiles batteries were located also here in response to the deployment of Pershing missiles by the US on the territory of Western Germany. in the Eighties.
The airbase has been converted to non-military use, and today it is active mainly with general aviation flights. Some former hangars are used by private companies.
The air museum is made of two physically separated parts. The main building with the ticket office is the former entrance to the Soviet airbase. Here an incredible, original mural from Soviet times is still gracing the wall, together with a map of the airfield, again from Soviet times. From there you access the inside exhibition, cluttered with aircraft parts, engines, flight suits,… Not everything from the Soviet part of the Iron Curtain though, as uniforms and parts from Western Germany and other non-communist Countries can be spotted.
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Among the most interesting artifacts in the exhibition, a large explanatory scheme of a servo-actuation plant of an aircraft, with explanations in cyrillic alphabet, and a simulator for a radar mounted inside the MiG-21. Both really used training items, very uncommon to find.
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
A part of an A380, two gliders, some Interflug memorabilia – the flagship airline of the GDR – and tons of models and radio-transmission hardware complete the picture. Unfortunately, also here everything is in German only. The volunteers are welcoming and helpful, but unfortunately communication is not easy due to language issues.
In a first part of the open-air exhibition it is possible to find a couple of MiG-21, one East-German and the other Soviet, a helicopter of the Police of the GDR, plus other aircraft from the West-German Luftwaffe, namely a Dassault Atlantique patrol, a G-91 and an F-86.
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
The two MiGs have been carefully restored, and the Red Army one appears to have been a former gate guardian at Altenburg/Nobitz.
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Another part of the open-air collection can be found across the street, where a big Transall C-160 a Lockheed F-104 and a Sukhoi Su-22 can be spotted. The area is big and there is room for more aircraft – hopefully, this good-caring staff will have the chance to add even more items to their well-preserved collection in the future!
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz – World of Flight
Curiously enough, the area was liberated from the Nazis by US troops in 1945, and handed over to the Soviets only after the end of WWII. A memorial stone remembers the actions of the US divisions fighting in the area in wartime.
Not time-expensive to visit (about 45 minutes to 1 hour for aircraft-minded people), besides a valuable aircraft collection and some rare artifacts of interest for aviation enthusiasts, this places offers the unique chance to enter a preserved gate building of a former Soviet airbase.
Getting there
The airport is located about two miles east of the nice historical town of Altenburg, itself about 30 minutes southeast of Leipzig. I would recommend going with a car and a good nav, for reaching the exact location of the museum may be a bit tricky with visual navigation. Website here, with some basic info also in English. The place is run by volunteers and it’s closed except during weekends in the good season, so carefully check opening times.
The Berlin Wall is widely known as one of the most emblematic symbols of the Cold War – a materialization of the ‘Iron Curtain’. The Wall – at least in its preliminary stage – was erected almost overnight in August 1961 by the Government of the GDR (‘German Democratic Republic’, or ‘DDR’ in German), and later developed into a complex and virtually impenetrable dividing barrier with fortifications, multiple fences, barbed wire, watchtowers, watchdogs, mines, truck stopping bars and other devices, isolating the part of Berlin attributed to the US, Britain and France from the Soviet occupation zone.
This monster, which caused many people to lose their lives, or forced them to risk everything – and leave everything behind – in the pursue of freedom, remained in place and was steadily updated until its triumphal demolition in November 1989.
What is less known is that the reason for building the Wall was the urge of the GDR to stop emigration towards West Germany (‘FRG’, Federal Republic of Germany, or ‘BRD’ in German) and the free world. Actually, the Wall was built following a massive emigration wave from the harsh living conditions of the GDR, taking place during the Fifties and mounting until the Wall was built. Literally millions of people fled the regions occupied by the Soviets from the end of WWII in 1945 until 1961.
Consequently, blocking the border only in the city of Berlin would have been nonsense. As a matter of fact, at the same time as the construction of the Wall begun, the government of the GDR started one of the most gigantic ‘border-armoring’ operations in history, by ordering fortification of the whole border line between East and West Germany. The Berlin Wall was actually only the tip of the iceberg, as all the more than 800 miles long border line between East and West Germany, extending from the Baltic Sea to Bavaria and the Czech border, was blocked with the same level of restraining techniques deployed in Berlin, to the explicit aim of preventing people from crossing the fence and going East to West. For the Communist government, East Germany had to be reconfigured basically as a nationwide prison.
This incredible operation, which engaged thousands border troops and tons of equipment, plus required continuous updates of the patrolling technologies, was reportedly so expensive that it contributed effectively to the collapse of the economy of the GDR. It crystallized the so-called ‘Inner Border’ between the two German republics, which had existed since 1945, but had never been so deadly. After the introduction of this strict border patrolling policy the number of people killed or wounded, and of those arrested because trying to cross the border, increased steadily until the re-opening of the border, following rapidly after the demolition of the Wall in Berlin in 1989.
Berlin is today an enjoyable city, full of interesting places to visit and things to do, and its urban configuration, so strikingly bound to the Wall and its history – unlike all other capital cities in Europe, Berlin is lacking a true ‘city center’ – with the passing of time is becoming more uniform. Differences between the two sides, once obvious, now tend to vanish, at least in the most seen parts of the city, with new buildings, fashionable shops and malls, stately hotels and governmental buildings rising where once the Wall had created barren flat areas, not restored for long from the ruins of WWII. Obviously, nothing bad in this process, which also makes Berlin one of the most lively places in Europe in terms of architecture.
The grim atmosphere of the Cold War years can still be breathed in many places in town especially in the former East Berlin, but even close to the few memorials of the Wall scattered over the urban territory it’s hard to imagine how it really felt like being there when the border could not be crossed. If you want more evocative places, you should look somewhere else.
In this sense, the preserved border checkpoints and portions of the fortified Inner Border are much more evocative, and constitute a very vivid, albeit little known, fragment of memory, inviting you to think about the monstrous effects of ideology and dictatorship. All along the former border, especially in the southern regions of the former GDR, you can still spot large areas spoiled of trees, where once the border fences run. Scattered watchtowers are not an unusual sight in these areas, even though many have been demolished immediately after dismantling the border. In some focal places, often corresponding to former checkpoints where important roads crossed the border, the fences have been totally preserved or just slightly altered, for keeping historical memory.
The following photographs were taken during an exploration of some of these sites in summer 2015, winter 2016, summer 2021 and again in summer 2023. The exposition follows a southern-northern direction along the former Inner Border.
Map
The following map shows the location of the sites described below. For some sites you can zoom in close to the pinpointed positions on the map to see more detailed labels. Directions to reach all the sites listed are provided section by section. The list is not complete, but refers to the sites I have personally visited. Border sites in Berlin are not included.
Mödlareuth is actually the name of a small village placed along the former Inner Border between Bavaria and Thuringia. The site is not difficult to reach by car, a 4 miles detour from highway N.9, going from Munich to Berlin. Just proceed to the village of Modlareuth, which is dominated by the ‘Deutsch-Deutsches Museum Mödlareuth’ (website here). This encompasses an open-air exhibition of the former border area, plus an indoor exhibition with patrolling vehicles, artifacts, videos and temporary exhibitions. Large free parking on site.
For photographing purposes, I would suggest approaching from the south, from the village of Parchim via H02. Mödlareuth is located in a natural basin surrounded by low hills, and the H02 proceeds downhill to the site, allowing for a perfect view of the former border area.
Sights
Most of the Inner Border once run in rural areas. In that case, ‘only’ double fences, dogs, watchtowers, truck-stopping grooves and mines were ok. In the less common cases when the border crossed or passed close to villages, something similar to what had happened in Berlin was replicated on a smaller scale, and a further fortification layer in the form of a tall concrete wall, was put in place.
This happened also in Mödlareuth, where the small village was split in two parts by a wall, gaining to this town the nickname of ‘Little Berlin’. The place was rather famous in the West before 1989, and it was visited also by vice-president Bush in the years of the Reagan administration.
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
As here one of the relatively few local roads not cut by the Inner Border was left, the village was also place for a border checkpoint for cars.
The open air exhibition showcases what remains of the wall – the most of it was demolished restoring the original, pre-war geography of the town -, as well as a full section of the border protection system and checkpoint. Looking from the West, you had first the real geographical border, coinciding with a creek as it was typical. Beyond it, poles with warning signs and distinctive concrete posts painted in black, red and yellow stripes (the colors of the German flag) with a metal placard bearing the emblem of the GDR. These signs had existed since the inception of the inner border to mark it, and date from older times than the other border devices. Then followed the wall. Behind it, a corridor for walking/motorized patrols and a fence. Then you had a groove in the ground, reinforced with concrete, capable of stopping a truck or a car pointing westwards from the GDR. An area of flattened sand followed next, to mark the footsteps of people approaching the border area. In different times, mines were placed in a much alike sand strip. Then followed a final fence.
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Except for the wall, the above description applies with slight variants to all the length of the Inner Border.
The net used for the fences was very stiff and conceived to avoid fingers passing through, this way making climbing very difficult.
A peculiar aspect of the wall in Modlareuth is a small door in it. That was a service door for border patrols, used to access the area between the border line in the middle of the creek and the wall itself, for servicing or arresting Westerners. This happened more than once, not only here – as a matter of fact, walking past the border from the West was as easy as walking past the little creek where the border line passed. This was in all respects entering the GDR, even though the fortification line was about 30 feet further into the East. When this happened you could expect to be rapidly arrested and kept for interrogation before eventually being released in most cases. Servicing, like cutting trees and so on, in the strip between the wall and the real border was reportedly a task for very enthusiastic Communist troops, as escaping to the West from there was again as easy as a leaping past a narrow creek…
The road crossing the border in Mödlareuth is not active any more and is part of the open air exhibition. Actually the former customs house hosts the ticket office. Along the former road it is possible to observe an example of car stopping devices and original ‘stop’ and ‘no-trespassing’ signs.
The area was dominated by watchtowers. There are two in Mödlareuth, one original and inaccessible, the other probably cut in height. Both are of a relatively recent model, with a distinctive round section.
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Going to the two main buildings of the museum it is possible to find other interesting items, including models of the site, and pieces of hardware like a sample of the standard border wall, and a vehicle stopping device able to cut the road in a matter of a second at a short notice.
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
A large depot hosts many vehicles – armored vehicles, 4×4, trucks, and even a helicopter – once part of the border patrols of the GDR, and also of the FRG. Forces of the latter did monitor the border, but as the problem was mainly with the GDR in trying to keep its citizens back, the FRG forces were as substantial as it is usual for a border between states.
There are also original road signs and warning signs, including some in English for US troops.
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Finally, the museum offers a well-made 15 minutes documentary, played in English on request, with the history of the Inner Border and of the wall in Mödlareuth, with video recordings from the past which really add to the perception of how the place used to work, and show what it meant for the local population – families split overnight and for decades, as it was the case in Berlin.
When I visited in 2015 the temporary exhibition was unfortunately only in German.
There are information panels scattered all around the village providing an opportunity to better compare today’s village with how it was before 1989.
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Leaving to the north-west towards Thuringia along K310, it is possible to spot a part of the most external border fence which has been preserved out of the village. You can walk freely along it. Still in Modlareuth, in the parking of the exhibition a Soviet tank still occupies one of the parking lots.
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Mödlareuth German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
I would recommend this place for a visit, it is convenient to reach and extremely interesting for the general public as well as for the most committed specialist. Visiting may take from half an hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on your pace and level of interest. The countryside nearby is lovely and relaxing. The site is fully accessible and well prepared, with many explanatory information. It may be a bit crowded, as people mostly from Germany are visiting it in flocks… yet visiting is very evocative and rewarding.
Eisfeld-Rottenbach
Getting there
The Eisfeld site can be reached easily from highway N.73, less than .5 miles from exit Eisfeld-Süd. Actually, the highway didn’t exist at the time of the GDR, and the corresponding traffic ran on what is today Coburger Strasse. The very location of the former border checkpoint is today taken by a gas station, serving the highway traffic.
On site, you can still find the ‘Gedenkstätte Innerdeutsche Grenze Eisfeld-Rottenbach’, hosted in the original control tower for the border checkpoint. The tower can be visited as an automated museum, meaning that entrance is possible by putting a few coins in an automatic system to unlock the door. Despite being automated, the museum has hours of operations.
Sights
The Eisfeld site is similar to the one in Eussenhausen (see later), being the location of a former border crossing point. Actually, this checkpoint was built in a relatively later stage in the life of the inner border in 1973, to decrease congestion on major crossing points then in existence.
The highway today running nearby was not there in the Cold War years, hence the relatively smaller road running today into the service area and gas station now taking the place of the former checkpoint, used to be a major road linking the FRG and GDR near Eisfeld.
Of course, having been turned into a service station, the original function of the place is somewhat deceived. However, the control tower greeting you when approaching from the south betrays the original identity of this facility.
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
The control tower was there to oversee and keep a constant watch on border control and customs operations, taking place on the several vehicle lanes beneath. Today, it is home to a very interesting exhibition on the topic.
Most of the exhibition is centered on pictures from the time of construction, operation and final dismantlement. These are very evocative of the bygone era of the Iron Curtain.
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
On the top floor, a scale model of the former border crossing facility can be found. This is extremely interesting to understand the general arrangement of the site, and how traffic flows used to be managed on site. The normal access road from the FRG was interrupted by a preliminary checkpoint, giving access to the control area. Vehicles were split in multiple parallel queues for the official check. The lanes then rejoined and access to the GDR was via a normally-sized road. Basically the same happened in the opposite direction.
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Stopping gear for emergency – conceived especially to stop fleeing vehicles – was located in several points, as well as fences all around the area, with watchtowers and more usual stopping systems for men and vehicles. Garrisons and booths were abundant too.
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Most of this has gone today, except maybe some of the buildings of the service station, recycled from a different function.
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eisfeld-Rottbach German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
The control tower is the most conspicuous remain, together with some pieces of the Berlin wall, clearly not from here, but located here for remembrance. Visiting the small museum – unfortunately with descriptions in German only – may take about 45 minutes. Website here.
Gompertshausen
Getting there
The memorial can be found on the local road connecting Gompertshausen (Thuringia) to Alsleben (Bavaria). Parking opportunities on site.
Sights
The memorial Grenzdenkmal Gompertshausen is centered on an early-generation watchtower. The place was unlikely associated to a crossing point, and it is possible that the local road, now passing right besides the tower, was cut in the days of the GDR.
The memorial cannot be toured unless by appointment. However, its location in the middle of a peaceful agricultural area is rather suggestive of the grim atmosphere of the bygone oppressive communist regime.
Gompertshausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Gompertshausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Gompertshausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Close to the tower, a portion of the fence has been preserved, similarly to the access to an interesting underground facility – with a function which is today hard to guess from outside. A ventilation pipe is clearly visible in the premises, likely connected with this facility.
Gompertshausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Gompertshausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Gompertshausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Not far from the tower, in the village of Gompertshausen, an attentive eye can spot a (likely) former garrison of the border guards, now in a state of disrepair.
Behrungen
Getting there
Unlike some more prominent museums on this page, the ‘Freilandmuseum Behrungen’ open-air exhibition is not associated to a border crossing point. Actually, the public road giving access to the memorial runs parallel to it. Access is very easy driving from the village of Behrungen (Thuringia, former GDR) along Röhmilder Strasse, leaving the town heading east. The memorial can be found to the south of the road roughly 1 mile from the town. A first part of the memorial is a small preserved portion of the fence line, very close to the road. From there you can spot the watchtower. You can approach the latter by car, driving on the original service road, and park right ahead of it.
Visiting the watchtower is rarely possible. However, you can move around the area and cross the border with a short walk on a trail, to get good pictures anyway. The surroundings of the preserved part are in the middle of a natural preserve, making the visit a possible stop when wandering in this very nice area.
Sights
The installation in Behrungen is basically a preserved section of the original border in the deep countryside, not corresponding to any crossing point. The focal point in the exhibition is an early-type watchtower, which has been restored and hosts a small exhibition, seldom open unless by appointment. The detection sensors on top of the tower are still there, as well as the communication antennas.
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
A service road with the original prefabricated concrete slabs can departs from the tower.
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
As usual in the structure of the border barrier of the GDR, the tower was in the middle of an interdicted strip, between two fence lines – one towards the GDR (north of the tower in this case) and one towards the FRG (to the south of the tower).
Two little portions of the inner fence line have been preserved, and can be seen quite apart from one another along the public road coming from Behrungen.
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Besides one of the two fence traits, a smaller concrete shooting turret can be seen. Turrets like this, often covered in camo coat, can be found in a high number all along the line of the former inner border.
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
A big portion of the outer fence, south of the tower, is also visible in this exhibition. Running along it, a vehicle stopping moat made of concrete slabs is clearly visible still today.
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
In the vicinity of this fence, a mine was found by chance as recently as 2001. A commemoration stone was put in place, to stress how the monstrosity of the wall left a long-lasting and unwanted inheritance for the local population and visitors as well.
Unlike in the Cold War years, you can now cross this border, heading south into Bavaria. The original striped concrete post and white signals, showing the actual line of the border – south from the monstrous fence – are still there.
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Further south, you can find the original ‘Stop’ line put in place by FRG authorities, with prohibition signs and an explanation of the rules in the border area dating from 1989. This rules were very tricky, especially for the fact that getting past the line marked by the posts, without even reaching to the fence, was already a border violation. This was something that could happen for Westerners just by mistake, but would trigger capture, interrogation and possibly fines by the GDR border control police.
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Behrungen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
The silent and peaceful area of the Behrungen site makes for a thought-provoking stop along the former inner border.
Eußenhausen
Getting there
The open-air exhibition of the ‘Grenzmuseum Eussenhausen’ can be reached along the St2445, roughly 1.5 miles north of the small village of Eussenhausen in Bavaria. Crossing the border with Thuringia, the road changes its name into L3019, and the closest village is Henneberg, about 1 mile north of the inner border. The exhibition is arranged on a former apron of the border control area, slightly uphill, but fairly accessible for the general public, and with a large parking ahead. The exhibition is open-air and arguably accessible 24/7 for free.
As of 2021, the large border control area on the GDR side of the border line (i.e. in Thuringia) is basically abandoned and severely damaged. For relic- and ghost-place-hunters or like-minded people, this can also be toured, and makes for an evocative sight. A dedicated parking is not available in the vicinity of this former facility, hence parking close to the official memorial is recommended.
Sights
This border museum is located on a former border crossing point between and the GDR and FRG, likely opened similar to other checkpoints in the 1970s, to reduce the traffic jams created by border controls on major transit arteries. Today, the site is composed of three parts, two of which are officially for visitors, and the latter an abandoned site.
The first and most significant part of the site is made of the (arguably) original road giving access to the large control area. The original external fence of the GDR border area can still be seen along the sides of the road, as well as the original external gate.
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
It is likely that this area was originally intended for a kind of pre-check of vehicles, heading inside the GDR from the West. Today, the area has been converted into an exhibition of a wide array of stopping mechanisms and control booths once in place in the area of the border checkpoint.
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Among the most striking items are one of the closing bars moving on a rail, and pushed by a still visible hydraulic actuator. The mass of the bar allowed to stop heavy traffic, and hydraulic power allowed for a very quick closure. This item was likely transferred here from the eastern side of the checkpoint, since similar stopping gear was intended to prevent GDR citizens fleeing the country.
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Concrete shooting points, rather common along the border line also far from the authorized border-crossings, were often camo-painted. Some have been transferred here. A striped border post is also part of the exhibition.
A second part of the exhibition is a memorial built after the reopening of the border, to celebrate freedom. The meaning of the installations here is not always easy to capture. However, original parts of the fence wall rise the historical value of this area.
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Finally, the area once used for controls can be found towards the eastern part of the checkpoint. This area is not open for visitors, but is basically open and unguarded, so a check is advised for more curious visitors. Here a tower was put in place to oversee the operations in the control lanes. This can still be seen, albeit severely damaged.
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Close by, the large area once occupied by the control lanes can be seen. Original lamps are still there, but the sun shelters and control booths are totally gone. Looking at a historical picture available on the official part of the exhibition (see above), it is also clear that the bulky building on the side of the apron was not there at the time of border operations. Maybe this was built as a hotel – and construction halted before completion – after the reopening of the border.
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
A surviving building in this area is that of a small mechanics shop, possibly for the vehicles of GDR border protection corps.
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Eussenhausen German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
The Eußenhausen site is interesting for the easy-to-visit exhibition, but also a glance to the currently (2021) abandoned former control area may be really evoking. This short 360° video captures the unreal silence of this once busy border point.
Schwarzes Moor
Getting there
This site is immersed in a beautiful national preserve area, a popular destination for lovers of hiking or cycling activities. This site used to be a sharp corner of the inner border line. Today, the three German regions of Thuringia, Bavaria and Hessen (the former previously part of the GDR) still meet close to this point. The watchtower and the remains on site can be reached with a short walk on an unpaved, perfectly leveled and easy road from a large parking area, put in place for the visitors of the national preserve.
The parking can be reached by car approaching from Bavaria, where road St2287 meets St2288. The closest sizable village is Frankenheim, geographically just one mile north, but connected to the parking via a somewhat longer curvy road. The tower cannot be visited inside, and this small complex makes for a 24/7 open-air memorial, which can be neared without restrictions.
Sights
Smaller than other sites, but nonetheless interesting also for the vantage position on top of a hill and immersed in a beautiful natural preserve area, the Schwarzes Moor site is visible from a distance thanks to a late-generation, slender, square-based watchtower. This has been restored thanks to the intervention of local businesses, and the sight it provides from a distance is quite evocative of how the inner border should have looked like in this hilly countryside back in the years of operation.
Schwarzes Moor German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Schwarzes Moor German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
A small remnant of the original fence put on the western side is also in place, right ahead of the watchtower. One of the original gates in the fence was apparently located here, arguably used only for maintenance operations. No crossing was possible in this area.
A striped original ‘DDR’ concrete border post, as well as a few white poles with a similar demarcation function, can still be seen, making for an ideal photo subject – provided you dare to walk on a pasture area generously pointed by the results of cow digestion…
Schwarzes Moor German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Schwarzes Moor German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Schwarzes Moor German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Schwarzes Moor German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Schwarzes Moor German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Possibly less obvious to a less trained eye, a portion of the vehicle-stopping moat, once aligned with the largely disappeared fence, can still be seen, partially invaded vegetation.
Schwarzes Moor German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Schwarzes Moor German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Thanks to its elevated position, the former wide area of the border, once spoiled of any vegetation and today invaded by younger trees, is still visible from the hilltop where the tower is. The original service road running along the fence line, made of typically-GDR prefabricated concrete slabs, helps to capture the shape of the sinuous line of the border.
Schwarzes Moor German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
Schwarzes Moor German Inner Border Innerdeutsche Grenze
A historically relevant stop for those touring this region for the beautiful panoramas and for sporting activities, you will hardly miss this hiking trail head when roaming in the natural preserve.
Point Alpha
Getting there
The place is located between the small towns of Rasdorf, in Hessen, and Geisa, in Thuringia. It is very famous (website here), and official ad signs can be spotted also along highway N.7, going from Munich to Hamburg, near the town of Hunfeld, Hessen. From there it is a 12 miles drive – in a very relaxing, typically German countryside – to the site. Approaching from Rasdorf on the L3170, it is possible to access the site from two sides. If you go straight uphill to the top, you reach the small museum to one end of the site. If you take to the left just .2 miles before reaching the top of the hill, you access the site from the opposite end, where the most peculiar part of the complex – a US Army outpost – is located.
Both items are interesting, and they’re also linked by a walking trail – .25 miles -, running along the former border line. Free parking is available on both ends, so it’s just a matter of what you want to visit first.
Sights
This place is extraordinary in the panorama of the relics of the Inner Border, due to the fact that this portion of the border line was guarded directly by US troops instead of FRG border patrols on the western side. This is witnessed by a small outpost of the US Army which has been since then deactivated and opened to the public. The area – the so-called ‘Fulda Gap’ – was considered by western observers as one of the most likely targets for a possible attack/invasion from the East. This was also due to the fact the US quarters in Fulda were relatively close and there is no natural barrier between this section of the border and that city.
The US outpost is a very interesting prototype of similar installations. Much of the original barracks are still standing. The side of the outpost facing the border is also the place for an observation tower with much communication equipment and an observation deck.
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
The former canteen now hosts a bar. To the back of it you can still see a basketball court. Other buildings include former office/barracks, with a nice exhibition about the history and function of the site, and vehicle depots. There are also some vehicles, including a tank and two helicopters, and tents.
Very close to the tower the American Flag is still waving. The pole is not planted in the ground, in observance to the fact that this is not American land.
Curiously, walking towards the fence from within the fort you can see signs for military personnel, warning about the limits of jurisdiction outside a delimited area, in order to avoid raising diplomatic issues by introducing armored vehicles or similar items in an area too close to the border.
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
After visiting the outpost you can walk towards the small museum, telling more about the history of the Inner Border. The short trail runs along reconstructed portions of the original fence and border interdiction system. Most notably, on the GDR side there is a watchtower of the most modern type, tall and with a square section. Facing the US tower, there is a shooting bunker from the early age soon after WWII, put in place probably before the total closure of the border. Some signs provide scant descriptions, but the function of all devices there is pretty obvious.
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Close to the US outpost on the eastern side of the border it is possible to appreciate very clearly the construction of the vehicle stopping groove.
The portion of the border next to the small museum is preserved as it was before the final blockade – in a first stage, only concrete posts were in place, whereas barbed wire and stop signs were included in the picture. This was before the subsequent modernization, taking place in more stages from the definitive closure with fences, barriers and watchtowers in the early Sixties, until the reopening of the border.
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Point Alpha Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost
Similarly to Mödlareuth, this place is easily accessible, fully prepared for the general public and interesting also for people with a specific interest in the matter. The US outpost is a peculiar sight of this border site. In terms of resemblance to the original condition of the border fortification system, in my opinion it is less evocative than other places, but it still provides a good idea of how it may have looked like. The area is really nice to walk, so there is something for everybody here. Visiting may take from half an hour if you skip the museum, to more than an hour, depending on your interest.
Point Alpha is the best preserved among other installations of the kind, which include Point India and Point Romeo further north along the border with Hessen (west) and Thüringen (east).
Point India & Point Romeo
Getting there
The US outposts of Point India and Point Romeo are not located on the same spot, but they are described together here for convenience, especially since there is nothing left of Point Romeo today, except for an info table and a commemorative stone.
Point Romeo can be reached in two minutes out of the Wildeck-Obersuhl exit on the highway N.4. Taking north from the exit along L3248, you will reach the small village of Richelsdorf. Turn left on Shildhofstrasse upon entering the village. Keep on this road for about 1.5 mi, until you see the massive foundation of highway N.4 ahead of you. You should find a small sign showing the direction of the memorial and telling you to go north-west on a narrow road. Turning right according to the sign on this unnamed road, you should find the memorial .3 miles from the crossing. The memorial is open-air and unfenced, with picnic tables on the spot. Reaching is possible at all times.
Point India can be found starting from regional road 7. Reaching the village of Lüderbach and driving along Altfelderstrasse pointing west, you should leave the village behind you as the road climbs steep uphill. Upon leaving the village, you will take a sharp bend to the right, followed by a gentler one to the left, all in less than 300 ft. Upon entering the latter bend, you will see a wide road taking sharply to the left. As you take that road, gently ascending and going to the east, you many notice the path is unusually wide for the non-existent traffic, and for the rural location where the road is. It is such due to its original function, as it led directly into the US outpost. Keep on this road going east for about 0.5 miles, gently climbing on top of the hill, and you will find a dead end with a small parking, and a clear sign marking the original place of Point India. The memorial is open 24/7, including the tower.
The location of the Point India post has been included in a nice nature-culture walking trail in the area. The corresponding map can be found at Point India, as well as in other notable places along the trail. One of them is the East German watchtower in Ifta.
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
To get there, you might drive to the village of Ifta, which used to be on the GDR side, and take Willershäuserstrasse to the south. Upon leaving the village behind, as the road enters a small forest, you should spot the watchtower on top of a hill, 0.2 miles to the right of the road up. Take the road climbing to the tower, which is paved in the original concrete slabs typical to all service roads on the eastern side of the former border, and drive to the place, where a small flat area suitable for parking and basic picnic facilities can be found. The tower is generally closed.
Sights
The function of the two outposts of Point India and Point Romeo was similar as that of Point Alpha (see above). The region of the ‘Fulda Gap’, along the border between Hessen in the FRG and Thüringen in the GDR, was considered of high strategic significance, and actively guarded by US forces since immediately after WWII, when the line of the German Inner Border was crystallized. Thanks to the favorable morphology of the terrain in this area, an invasion from the Eastern Bloc was considered especially likely from this sector of the border. As a matter of fact, this idea elaborated on the western side of the Iron Curtain turned out to be a correct prevision of the actual plans for an attack to the West, prepared in the years of the Cold War by the USSR, taking advantage of its own presence in the Countries on the border with Western Europe (see here and here).
Today, the outpost of Point India has been almost completely demolished, and the area returned to nature. From the parking, you can spot the three traces that remain from the observation post (OP), namely the observation tower, the entry sign, and a service building which used to shelter some electrical gear, and currently standing right ahead of the parking area.
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
The sign bears an emblem with a motto from the 11th US Armored Cavalry regiment, which took responsibility for manning the observation point. The sign is a copy, but it resembles the original one, and it is close to its original location. The parking is actually very close to the former gate of the camp.
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
From the parking, a short walk leads to the original watchtower. This concrete watchtower is the third installed in the observation point premises, its predecessors being a wooden one from the late 1960s, flanked by a metal one in the late 1970s. Both were replaced by the concrete tower you see today, a perfect twin to that found in Point Alpha (see above).
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
The tower can be climbed today, and it is possible to enter the former observation room, as well as the open observation deck.
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Inside the observation room, now spoiled of all hardware and turned into a permanently open memorial room, a very informative table with many interesting pictures from the site in the Cold War era can be found.
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
From the open deck on top, pointers allow to find a few notable locations in the panorama, including the original line of the border, today rather hard to spot, due to the now grown vegetation, as well as the tall antennas of the FRG-US Hoher Meissner electronic espionage post (in the distance). The village of Ifta, the first met on the East German side, can be clearly spotted.
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point India Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
With an equipment mainly composed of a ground radar and communication gear, the roughly 200-men staff of the observation point was that of keeping trace of any change along the border in their area of pertinence, including military movements on the communist side of the Iron Curtain.
A GDR watchtower in the vicinity of the US observation post can still be found along the nature trail in the area, of which Point Alpha is a highlight. The tower, similar to that to be found in Hotensleben (see later), and once in many places along the inner border, can be reached also by car, in a few minutes from Point India.
Ifta Grenzturm GDR Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point India
Ifta Grenzturm GDR Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point India
Ifta Grenzturm GDR Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point India
Ifta Grenzturm GDR Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point India
Ifta Grenzturm GDR Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point India
The observation point ‘Point India’ is settled in a very nice region, and is an interesting complement to the major site of Point Alpha. Located far from the crowds and with an interesting selection of pictures proposed in the exhibition, it is surely worth a detour for committed Cold War specialists or tourists in the area. A visit may take about 30 minutes.
Geographically placed between Point India (to the north) and Point Alpha (to the south), the Observation Point Romeo shared with them the history, purpose and arrangement, including a concrete observation tower built in the 1980s. However, the site has been completely demolished in 1994, a few years after German reunification.
Today, on the site of Point Romeo is a commemorative stone, and a table (in German) retracing the history of the site with interesting photographs, copies of newspaper headlines from the time, and text.
Point Romeo Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point Romeo Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point Romeo Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point Romeo Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point Romeo Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point Romeo Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point Romeo Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
Point Romeo Grenze Inner Border US Outpost Observation Point
The Point Romeo site is a quick detour from the highway, keeping memory of the service of US military staff in the area for the long decades of the Cold War. Checking out the site may take 10 minutes.
Schifflersgrund
Getting there
The border museum in Schifflersgrund (‘Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund’ in German) is a major installation along the former Inner Border, and is clearly marked with signs when approaching the town of Bad Sooden-Allendorf (FRG), in Hessen, or Sickenberg, in Thüringen (GDR). It is located on a local road connecting the two towns. The memorial site is modern and hosts a rich collection. It is also an active cultural center on the topic, with a central building for temporary exhibitions, and a separated building with a big conference room.
A large parking is available on site. For visiting the museum collection a ticket is required. Furthermore, a nature trail along the former border has been prepared and is clearly marked with tables on way-points. No ticket is required for it. Website with full information in multiple languages here.
Sights
The site of Schifflersgrund is centered around a preserved portion of the Inner Border. Due to the local morphology, as the border ran along the rim of a small canyon, the inaccessible area between the two fences marking the border on the GDR side was unusually large. A section of the ‘external’ fence, immediately past the border line when coming from the FRG, is still preserved, together with an original watchtower. The latter used to sit in the restricted area between the inner and external fences, which was accessible only to the border guards of the GDR. Close to the watchtower, a small section of the ‘inner’ fence, the first met coming from the GDR towards the border line, is also preserved.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Between the two fences, the respect area encompasses the local shallow canyon with the original East German service road, now employed as a cultural and nature trail, running along the ‘external’ fence for some thousands feet.
Access to the area around the tower is possible with a ticket. The main building with the ticket office hosts interesting temporary exhibitions and a book, souvenir & memorabilia shop.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Walking towards the watchtower is across a yard, where an interesting series of vehicles and helicopters once employed along the border by the opponents on the two sides is on display. Vehicles include a Soviet truck with a radar antenna typically deployed for airspace monitoring.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Helicopters of Soviet construction on the GDR side include a Mil-24 attack helicopter, and Mil-2 and Mil-8 utility/transport models. On the FRG side are two US-designed Bell helicopters managed by the Border Guards of the FRG.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
A small but interesting exhibition is related to the last weeks of WWII and the immediate post-WWII period in Germany. The connection with the site is in the fact that a large region, extending as far as Leipzig to the east, was conquered by American forces in the last stages of WWII. Of course, Berlin and the easternmost part of today’s Germany were militarily taken by the Red Army (see this post). However, it was due to international agreements (Yalta and later Potsdam) that the westernmost regions of what later the GDR were handed over to Stalin and communism.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
The same short exhibition mentions the US observation points, soon to appear along the border in the ‘Fulda Gap’ (see above) after WWII.
Approaching the tower, you get through a partly reconstructed double fence, with all the typical gear for stopping potential escapees. This include the infamous automatic shotguns, activated by contact with the fence, and shooting metal balls in proximity to the net.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
From close to the tower, you can get the view of the external fence mostly like it used to be in the Cold War era.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
A small museum building by the tower is adorned with original signs from the border area. These range from ‘danger zone’ signs in German, to border warning signs for the American military staff.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Inside the building is a compact but rich collection of interesting photographs, including always-striking now-and-then comparisons, showing how different the panorama used to look like in the area during the Cold War era.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Uniforms from both sides of the border, as well as memorabilia items are on display, close by to some dioramas and a scale model of the border site.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
An impressive listing of those fallen in the pursuit of freedom from the East-German communist dictatorship completes this well-stocked exhibition.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
A complement to the exhibition in the area around the watchtower can be found in a hangar cross the parking. To the sides of a large conference area are upscaled pictures from the time, as well as a modernly designed exhibition on the Cold War in Germany and the Inner German Border.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
The exhibition is in both German and English, and retraces the post-WWII history of Germany, citing many characters, both well-known (former Presidents of the United States, Soviet Secretaries, etc.) and less-known (local leaders, especially cultural leaders and dissidents from Germany).
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Preserved alongside the explanatory panels are some artifacts and memorabilia items.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Also vehicles one employed along the border are on display.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Of particular relevance is a scraper employed as a mean for an escape attempt by a man named Heinz-Josef Grosse. While working with the scraper in proximity to the ‘external’ fence, the man raised the bucket above the fence, climbed over it and jumped across the fence. Tragically, he was shot dead by the GDR border guards while trying to ascend from the canyon.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Out of the same hangar are an attack helicopter from the FRG and more vehicles from both sides of the border.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
The cultural and nature trail prepared by the organization running the museum in Schifflersgrund is about 7 miles long, and takes you around an extensive area along the former border. However, the preserved part of the ‘external’ fence can be found immediately beside the museum facility, and can be accessed quickly and permanently without a ticket.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Walking along the service road can be a good occasion for taking evocative pictures.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
The place where Heinz-Josef Grosse got killed is marked with a sign.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Further on to the west a wooden observation deck can be employed for getting a bird’s eye view of the area around the former border area. Also here, a table with historical pictures allows to get a clear view of how the place looked like in the Cold War era.
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
Grenzmuseum Schifflersgrund Innerdeutsche Grenze German Inner Border GDR FRG
All in all, the Schifflersgrund site makes for a nice documentation center, and offers a rich and unique open-air exhibition, including a rare preserved portion of the original border fence. The place is a primary memorial about the history of the Inner German Border. A visit may take from 45 minutes, concentrating on the museum only, to 1.5 hours with a short walk along the original fence, to an entire half day, when venturing along the open-air round trail.
Eichsfeld
Getting there
This was a major checkpoint for crossing the border, as the road passing here was often very busy. You can reach this installation on the road 247 between Gerblingerode in Lower Saxony and Teistungen in Thuringia.
The place hosts a modern museum in the former quarters of the GDR border patrol and in its annexes (website here). Furthermore, there is a loop trail along part of the former border, partially preserved in its final conditions to this day. This can be walked for free but it is pretty long, more than 1 hour for a well-trained young man, going up and down the hills to the West of the museum. I found it really much interesting especially for photographs, plus there are many information panels all along the trail, but you’d better go prepared especially on a torrid summer day.
Large parking available in front of the museum.
Sights
This place is the prototype of a checkpoint on a busy road crossing the border line. The main building of the museum has been built in a former customs house. The modern and well designed exhibition tells about the history of the Inner Border.
In a first part the focus is on the border control policy of the GDR – this was incredibly restrictive, as they tried to prevent Westerners from introducing illegal goods as well as western newspapers, books and similar ‘propaganda items’, plus they actively worked to stop people trying to flee th GDR using FRG vehicles.
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
This all was obtained with careful control of all vehicles, reportedly generating long queues. Every suspect good triggered a litigation, possibly resulting in access denial, fines, interrogations, … Among the hardware related to the topic, original passport control booths, movable mirrors for looking under stopped vehicles, optical instruments for checking parcels, uniforms, firearms, passports, papers.
In a second part, the museum tells about the Inner Border as a whole, including detailed information on the modernization stages from inception to demolition, and of many technical devices deployed to prevent escape. At some point, the innermost fence was supplied with contact sensors, linked to the watchtowers, telling the patrolling troops where the escapee was exactly. The strip between the inner and outer fences was filled with flattened sand, to make footprints immediately visible. This strip was filled with mines at a certain point. These had to be updated to more recent models later on, and the old ones were reportedly blown. Other deadly mechanisms included small cone-shaped explosive charges hanging from the fence, which exploded shooting plummets over a predefined area in case the fence was touched.
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
More information about the border include anecdotes, and numbers about people who died or where wounded trying to flee, and of those arrested for border-related issues. Also documented is the incredible cost of the whole border system, which like the Stasi – the detested internal police of the GDR – employed thousands of people, and necessitated of continuous maintenance and updates.
More about the history of the checkpoint in Eichsfeld and on the days of the re-opening can be found in the museum. A building close to the main hall, once for passport booths, hosts a photographic exhibition, very lively and interesting, about this particular checkpoint and the border re-opening. Also visible are a communication hub and a mechanic’s shop for disassembling suspect cars. In the outside courtyard of the museum some vehicles for patrolling are preserved, together with the original seal of the GDR once proudly standing in the middle of the border checkpoint.
Approaching the trailhead of the loop trail, very close to the museum, it is possible to spot vehicle stopping devices able to cut the road immediately in case of suspect escape situations.
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
A short map for the loop trail can be obtained for free in the museum. The checkpoint was like a punch in the otherwise continuous line of border fortification. Part of it can be seen going uphill along the trail. Original lamps shedding light along the border are still standing. Before reaching the watchtower on top of the hill it’s possible to see a well-preserved part of the original border system. Also visible are some shooting posts probably from an earlier time.
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Crossing the border and going West – freely possible only today – you can still see a cippus with the ‘DDR’ sign. The sight from the west makes for good photo opportunities of how the border would have been like back in the Eighties, looking from the FRG towards the ‘dark side’. Curiously enough, an observation tower was built on the West looking to the East, reportedly not for military purposes but for tourism. As you can see from the photos in the museum, this was where people from all over Europe came to see in person an open-air prison in the middle of Europe, in the form of a country administrated by a Communist dictatorship.
Typical striped concrete posts with the symbol of the GDR can be seen ahead of the border fence to the West, marking the real geographical border.
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Eichsfeld Teistungen Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
If you ar looking for detailed and well-organized information about the Inner Border, as well as for a nice preserved checkpoint and a portion of the border fortifications, I suggest coming to Eichsfeld. The museum can be visited in half an hour and up to 1 hour. Add about 1 hour for the loop trail. Furthermore, the place is close to the beautiful Harz region, surrounded by a beautiful countryside. It makes for an ideal, unusual detour from that region or from the busy areas of Kassel, Gottingen and Hannover.
Sorge
Getting there
Differently from other sites, there is not an official museum preserving the border here, nor is this place well advertised with road signs. Furthermore, the focus of the place, a former watchtower and a part of preserved fence, can be reached with a walk – on a very well prepared horizontal road, once a military communication road running along the border – about 1.2 miles long each way, i.e. about 2.5 miles both ways, so be prepared.
The trail head is in the small village of Sorge, in Saxony-Anhalt close to the border with Lower Saxony along road 242. After taking to the village from the 242, you need to turn right to reach the trailhead, which coincides with the end of the paved road and a no passing sign. Free parking available there, plus a sign with a detailed map of the site.
Sights
This place has not much to offer in terms of hardware. The inner fence is encountered soon after the trailhead. The road then points into the land strip once going to the outer fence, running on it for about 1 mile, and finally reaching a modern, tall watchtower with a square section. What makes this site interesting is the fact that it is almost desert. During my walk and stay there I encountered two people – from the Netherlands – in total. The area of the former border is deserted and unreally silent – very impressive.
Sorge Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Sorge Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Sorge Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Sorge Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Further on, former mine fields are presented, plus a strange monument to peace or equilibrium, unclear, but it’s made of stones and does not disturb the panorama.
It is noteworthy that they are keeping the strip around the preserved portion of the fence spoiled of vegetation. This was a distinctive feature of all the Inner Border line which is vanishing with time, as trees and vegetation are often reclaiming those areas.
Sorge Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Sorge Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Sorge Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Sorge Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Sorge Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
There is actually a small independent museum about the Inner Border in Sorge (website here), where also a border railway station was operated. Due to time constraints I could not visit it.
The most distinctive feature of the place is the characteristic Soviet ‘ghost aura’, making it really grim even in plain sunlight. The chance to walk the trail with nobody around adds to the atmosphere. Of course it requires some extra-walk with respect to other sites, and all in all the hardware it has to offer is not so abundant, so I would recommend visiting only for more committed specialists. The roundtrip time depends on your level of training, but may be easily about an hour.
Hotensleben
Getting there
The village of Hotensleben is on the border between Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, hence it once stood right on the Inner Border line. This town can be conveniently reached about 6 miles to the South of Helmstedt on highway N.2 going from Hannover to Berlin.
The border site is located on the western end of the village, on the L104 heading to Schoeningen. In case you are coming from Schoeningen you will clearly see the installation before reaching Hotensleben. Large free parking by the site.
Sights
As it was often the case for towns close to the Inner Border or crossed by it – see Mödlareuth upper on this page -, besides the usual border devices including fences, minefields, watchtowers, vehicle stopping grooves and bars, also a wall was put in place. To be exact, two walls were erected in Hotensleben, totally enclosing the strip where a service road, a minefield, fences and watchtowers were standing.
Parts of these walls have been preserved for posterity. The outer wall, mostly similar to that you can find in Mödlareuth, is tall and white, whereas the innermost one is made of grey concrete slabs. Watchdogs once stood between the innermost wall and the next fence.
Today the place is totally open access all day around, and it is made of two parts. The southernmost area showcases a modern watchtower with a round section, which has been cut for improving stability as it is not maintained any more. Look for the concrete slabs making the pavement of the service road nearby, and to the manholes with GDR factory labels.
Hotensleben Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Hotensleben Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
The main part is to the north of the road. Here you can appreciate most clearly the geography of the border strip, as it is placed on the side of a hill, over a gentle slope, offering a bird-eye view of the installation. Curiously, the topography of the border devices here is reportedly mostly similar to the one implemented in Berlin in the most recent times – so from here you can have a more precise idea of what was the Berlin wall than from everywhere in Berlin.
Hotensleben Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Hotensleben Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Hotensleben Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Hotensleben Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Hotensleben Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
On top of the hill – a very short walk from the parking – a watchtower of the earliest type, a rather bulky, square-shaped tower, is still standing.
To the outside of the outer wall some border signs remain – as usual, the line ran in the middle of a creek.
Hotensleben Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Hotensleben Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Hotensleben Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
Hotensleben Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint
There is no museum here, just an open air exhibition with some information provided through leaflets you can pick-up close to the parking.
I found this place very suggestive – also due to visiting near sunset, when I spent all my time there totally alone -, and the fact this represents a specimen of the Berlin Wall better than you can find in Berlin itself adds extreme value. It’s unlikely you will find much crowd here, so the place is ideal for photographs as well as for memory and thoughts. As there is no museum and the site is limited in size, visiting may take from 15 to 45 minutes. Would surely recommend for every kind of public, thanks also to the short distance from highway N.2 and from the Marienborn site.
Marienborn
Getting there
This is a gigantic installation also known as ‘Checkpoint Alpha’, which used to work as a major checkpoint for the highway traffic entering the GDR and/or heading to/coming from Berlin along highway N.2, from Hannover and central FRG. It can be spotted to the South of the highway, adjacent to it, immediately after the town of Helmstedt going to Berlin.
The place is accessible in at least two ways. If you are driving to Berlin, you can stop by the service/fuel station about .5 miles after the Marienborn/Helmstedt exit. The service station occupies part of the former site, which can be reached by foot. If you are driving from the opposite direction on N.2 or you are not coming from the highway at all, you may start from the village of Marienborn, take the K1373 in the direction of Morsleben (i.e. to the north), and turn to the left immediately before passing below the highway, keeping on K1373. This road goes west parallel to the highway for about 1 mile, then you clearly see the site to the right. Coming from the town of Marienborn it will be possible to spot also a watchtower of the oldest type along the former border. Scant information from the website here.
Sights
This place is a real ‘Jurassic Park’ of Communism, a true, evoking, grim relic of the Cold War. The installation is big, and today totally disused, but not abandoned. Actually, when I visited in summer 2015 some of the former passport booths were undergoing (slow) restoration, and were not accessible. The former main customs building, once hosting the offices of the guards, today hosts a nice and detailed free permanent exhibition, with some artifacts, explanatory panels and site control devices, plus many self explaining photographs – the only major flaw being everything is in German only. Here you can find a leaflet also in English, guiding you in the exploration of the site. Some report guided tours are offered, by I didn’t try myself, as I expected them to be given in German only.
First of all, the geometry: the place worked as a GDR checkpoint for both directions of traffic. All vehicle traffic was detoured here, both coming in or going out the Communist territory. This was one of the main gates to the Soviet bloc, so this place was reportedly very busy year round, with legendary waiting times to be expected in all directions.
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
For those entering the GDR, the main worry for border patrols was the introduction of contraband goods and ‘western propaganda’ in the form of books, newspapers, prohibited goods, religious items and so on. All cars, buses and trucks were accurately scanned.
In order to cope with the huge traffic flow, passports of incoming passengers had to be placed over a treadmill leading to the passport control booths, in order to start passport processing before the vehicle actually reached the booths. This device is still standing.
In the part deputed to controlling buses and trucks it is possible to notice higher banks and ladders for getting a vantage view. Movable mirrors are placed at the level of the canopy.
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
I was impressed by the shabby appearance of this control station, especially doors, booths and the material of the canopies… really an anticipation of Communist quality for those coming in. Red emergency buttons all around could trigger a blockade of the control post in case of suspect activities.
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Dedicated buildings included a livestock inspection quarter and a depot for inspecting dangerous material, a morgue and a bank – which can be recognized by the window railings. All Westerners coming in the GDR were forced by the law to buy a certain amount of GDR marks, at the exchange rate of 1:1 to FRG marks – due to the almost null value of the former, this was basically an entrance fee to the ‘Paradise of Socialism’.
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
The outgoing traffic was scanned as well, in search of potential enemies of the state trying to flee the country. A suspended deck for inspecting trucks is still standing close to the highway. The lanes leading to the control booths are still painted on the concrete of the pavement passing north of the main office building.
Suspect parcels in all directions were X-rayed or optically scanned. At a certain point in history, a well deceived scanning device – the grey ‘booth’ with no windows you can see in the photos – was put in place besides the outgoing traffic lanes, reportedly covertly X-raying all cars leaving the GDR even before reaching the control booths – definitely another era…
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Military troops going to West Berlin were treated more smoothly, but the platform of their dedicated office, immediately nearby the highway, has been demolished.
Original lights all around and deserted garages, barracks and service buildings for the border personnel complete the picture. Also noticeable are the concrete post where the round seal of the GDR was once proudly standing – today there is a unexplicable hole instead of the ‘DDR’ emblem -, placed between the two roadways in the middle of the highway close to the checkpoint area.
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Marienborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Alpha
Albeit different from all other border checkpoints – no fences, mines or concrete walls – this place is similarly evocative of the oppressive border policy of the GDR, which was evident also to ordinary Westerners trying to reach Berlin by road. This was a place where many people routinely experienced what a restrictive Communist dictatorship really meant. Would surely recommend for people interested in recent history, history of the Inner Border and the GDR, as the place is mostly preserved as it was in 1989, and easy to reach even if you’re just passing by. Exploration may take from fifteen minutes to more than an hour if you include the museum and a careful look to everything.
Schlagsdorf
Getting there
The small sleepy town of Schlagsdorf is less than 10 miles South of Lubeck. It is located in Mecklemburg-Vorpommern, on the border with Schleswig-Holstein. It can be conveniently reached by car from highway N.20 going from Lubeck to Rostock, or from the South via road 208.
The town hosts a small indoor museum in a former customs house, with a permanent exhibition and a cafe opening in the warm season (website here). The museum operates also a reconstructed specimen of the former border fortifications which is accessible by preliminarily purchasing the ticket by the museum office. The open air exhibition can be reached with a .2 miles walk through the village, or by car. Free parking all around.
Sights
The museum is focused on the restrictive customs policy of the GDR, and most notably on the effects of the border on the geography of Schlagsdorf and small towns nearby.
The area is pointed with lakes and creeks, so the geographical placement of the border line was particularly difficult around here. There existed places where the border crossed some rivers or creeks, and special nets were erected there, reaching to the bottom, cutting any communication also by water. These barriers have been demolished now, but this is well documented in the museum.
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Another practice of the Communist regime even from the times of Soviet occupation was deportation of the population of some of the villages. Especially in this area, in order to avoid the creation of enclaves where the border line was too tortuous, it was decreed that some rural villages should be simply abandoned. This further dark side of the history of the Inner Border is documented here.
Like in other similar museums, some original signs, uniforms and models give an idea of how the border looked like in the decades when it was blocked.
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Photographs of the border re-opening in 1989 and of the natural preserve now having taken the place of those grim installations complete this much interesting exhibition.
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
The open air exhibition puts together a small section of the usual external fence, ‘DDR’ posts, mine camps, lights, dog’s beds for watchdogs, local passport control booths and a modern watchtower.
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Some beheaded GDR sculptures are there too, together with other stopping devices, like barbed wires forming a horizontal net at the level of the ground, which couldn’t be spotted in tall grass and made walking the area difficult and dangerous.
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
This border section was reportedly not here in origin, but closer to the small lake to the south of the village, where the border line actually ran. A trail with explanatory panels goes along the former border line bank of the lake. I didn’t go myself as when I visited in winter the temperature was several degrees below freezing…
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
Schlagsdorf Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border Checkpoint Grenzhus
In the village you can spot manholes with ‘Made in GDR’ labels, and also some garden fences made with the same net originally used for the outer fence of the border fortification – this is recycling!
I would recommend visiting to everybody even only slightly interested. The place is surrounded by a very nice and relaxing countryside, with various opportunities for enjoyable walks and other sports. Plus, the place makes for a short detour from historical Lubeck and its many attractions. Visiting both indoor and outdoor may take from 45 minutes to less than 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Kühlungsborn
Getting there
The coast town of Kühlungsborn in Mecklemburg-Vorpommern is a nice location, very busy with sea tourism. Being on the so-called ‘sea border’ of the GDR, i.e. on the Baltic sea, it was guarded similarly to the Inner Border. Approaching is necessarily via the L12 or L11.
The place can be rather crowded even far from the peak season, plus the watchtower and the small museum nearby are right behind the beaches, totally inaccessible by car (website here). Just park where you can, reach the beaches, enjoy the panorama, and go to the small central square where ‘Strandstrasse’ meets ‘Ostseeallee’. The latter points directly into the sea, and actually ends in a nice pier. To the west of the small square the watchtower can be easily spotted.
Sights
This place witnesses a less known aspect of the GDR border, which actually was constituted also by the Baltic Sea, from the outskirts of Lubeck – still in the West – to the border with Poland.
Similarly to every other part of the border with the West, several people tried to flee the country also by sea when the border was blocked. The border patrolling policy of the GDR was really restrictive, and the sea border was no exception. Several watchtowers were erected all along the coast, and motorboats patrolled the coasts continuously to stop any illegal traffic.
Kuhlungsborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border See Sea
Kuhlungsborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border See Sea
The modern, round-section watchtower makes for a strident sight in the otherwise pleasant, typically North-German background of the village of Kuhlungsborn.
When I visited in spring 2016 the small museum was closed for the season. I had much information through a recently visited remand prison of the Stasi (the internal police of the GDR, a kind of Communist Gestapo) in Rostock, which was hosting a rich exhibition about the ‘sea border’ (see the governmental website, this is slightly off topic but extremely interesting, website here). In any case, there are explanatory panels with photos also outside of the watchtower, allowing to get some information.
Kuhlungsborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border See Sea
Kuhlungsborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border See Sea
Kuhlungsborn Innerdeutsche Grenze Inner Border See Sea
I would recommend visiting if you are going also for enjoying the town and beaches, or if you are a very committed specialist of such places. The museum is rather small in size and the hardware is basically the tower itself. Nonetheless, the striking contrast with respect to the background makes this place also rather evocative. I guess visiting may take up to 30 minutes including the museum.
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Probably the most famous air museum in Russia – and formerly in the whole USSR – the Central Air Force Museum in Monino doesn’t need a presentation for aviation enthusiasts from every part of the world. As a matter of fact, still today this is probably the world’s largest collection of military and experimental aircraft manufactured in the Soviet Union.
Similar to many air museums in western Countries, this aircraft collection has been located on the premises of an active airbase since it opened its doors back in 1958. For this reason, in the years of the Soviet Union and even for some time after its collapse, the collection couldn’t be visited without prior permission. A specially restrictive visiting policy was applied to foreign visitors, due to the technological content of the exhibition. Today things have greatly improved in this respect, and visiting is absolutely free for everybody, both Russians and foreign tourists, like it is the case for most similar sites in the West.
To be sincere, I expected something like what you can find in former peripheral Countries of the Soviet bloc – an array of rotting fuselages, landing gears, rusty jet engines and no information around. It turned out I was totally wrong. What caused my inaccurate prevision was I had failed taking into account the singular passion and nostalgia that Russians show still today for their Soviet past, at least when it comes to military power and technological glory. In this respect, many other more ‘western’ and politically correct neighbor Countries in Europe, like Italy and France, have a much colder attitude towards aviation and their own past aeronautical endeavors.
So, at Monino the conditions of the aircraft both inside and outside are extremely good, especially if you consider the harsh weather that aircraft bodies have to sustain in the terrible Russian winters. From photographs on the web you can rapidly realize most aircraft are covered in snow in winter, so visiting may be also not much rewarding in that season. I visited in September, and except for a Soviet-grey, cloudy day I could enjoy a normal visit.
From the technical viewpoint, the collection is composed of many aircraft and engines up to WWII, hosted indoor, plus a huge outdoor collection of aircraft covering the majority of military models deployed by the Air Force of the Red Army over the years of the Cold War, in their respective roles – strategic bombers, fighters, …
Also some really rare prototype aircraft are part of the exhibition – some of them, like the Tupolev Tu-144 and the Sukhoi Su-100, are unique and very famous. There are also some iconic (gigantic) Mil helicopters, and some liners. There is much information around for less experienced enthusiasts, almost all placards both in Russian and English – a very rare sight in English-unfriendly Russia! If you can speak or understand Russian – unlike me – you can also have guided tours with former Air Force staff, which are reportedly much interesting.
The following photos were taken during a visit in September 2015.
Getting there
One of the reasons for so few interested people actually include Monino in their visit plan is the fame of the place as almost unreachable, inconvenient and expensive. This fame is due to the many companies on the web chattering about permissions, passport requests, tickets in advance, many hours to get to the place and so on. These companies usually ask for many hundreds dollars for taking you on the trip.
These are genuine tourist traps. There is no need for any permission, the place is not any more an active base (since long) and you are not asked any document. Plus, getting there with the local railway system serving the greater Moscow area is very easy – the train has Monino as destination – and the totally inexpensive trip takes about 1h 20min, only due to the countless stops.
First of all, note that I don’t speak russian nor can I read the Cyrillic alphabet. Nonetheless, I managed to get to this place about 20 miles from center Moscow to the East without troubles and traveling solo.
Trains going to Monino depart Moscow Yaroslavskaya in central Moscow rather frequently, about two to four times per hour – accurate timetable available briefly googling for local trains from Moscow to Monino. The terminal is the local railway terminal, placed right behind the main cottage-like building of the railway station (from where you can go as far as Vladivostok…). You can buy a ticket from one of the countless automatic vendors – in Russian, impossible for me – or from one of the countless ticket offices – this was my option. I got a ticket for both ways – you just have to say “To Monino and back”, even though Russians are not friends of English, this request was immediately understood by the officer. The fare is very cheap. The line I considered terminated at Monino, reached after many many stops and about 1h 20 minutes later. Note that the railway ticket is required also for leaving the station on arrival, so you’d better keep it safe.
If all you had seen before in Russia is St. Petersburg and central Moscow, you might be a bit shocked, and feel like you had leaped in the past and well back into the Soviet era – large and cheap concrete buildings, partially paved roads, many elderly people walking around along silent streets and more bicycles than cars around. Sure the village is nothing special and far from monumental, but it’s not dark nor scary or unsafe. Plus you can notice signs of its past vocation, as ghost insignia and abandoned control booths typical to a former military installation can be spotted immediately close to the railway station and around the village, together with a Lenin’s statue still proudly placed in a small square on your path to the museum.
The only problem is that there are no signs for reaching the museum – not any until you are in front of the gate -, which is about .7 miles from the station to the other end of the village (South). You can take a (rare) taxi, or enjoy the walk. The latter was my option. The road is extremely straightforward. Actually it’s basically straight. If you don’t have a digital map, you can simply print the Google map of Monino with a satellite view of the buildings – this again was my option – and this is definitely enough to get to the place. I prepared this small map with the path I’ve followed and some notable sights.
The ticket to the museum is less than 3 dollars, very cheap.
For going back you just reverse the plan. Travel time in total for the trip both ways may be 3h 10min, including train and transfers between the gate and Monino station by foot. Adding about 3 hours for visiting the museum with a relaxed pace, a visit to Monino from central Moscow may take about 6 hours, so you may plan something more than half day for this visit.
Opening times can be obtained from the official website http://www.monino.ru, some Google-translation is needed if you like me don’t know Russian.
Sights
Including descriptions of all aircraft in Monino would be impractical and probably uninteresting. For this reason I will include only photographs and some comments. For an almost-full list of the aircraft in Monino, with something about each of the preserved exemplars, I would recommend the book in English A guide to the Russian Federation Air Force Museum at Monino by Korolkov and Kazashvili, published in the US.
In the blue-roofed building of the ticket office some early aircraft engines and panels about the history of aviation in Russia are presented.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Then you can enter the neighbor hangar, with some unique aircraft from up to WWII. These include an exemplar of the world-famous Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
The rest of the exhibition is hosted on the other side of the road. Immediately past the gate on one side you have probably the world’s largest helicopter, the twin-rotor Mil Mi-12. Facing this monstrosity, some iconic bombers, including the Tu-4, i.e. a licence-built Boeing B-29, and a prototype Tupolev Tu-22M, with ancestral engine fairings later replaced on the production version. Also notable are a Tu-22, Tu-128 – a really massive interceptor – and two very famous Soviet prototypes, the Myasischev M-50 and the Sukhoi Su-100, with its characteristic Concorde-like deflectable nose.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
In a hangar nearby it is possible to find some further experimental aircraft, including rocket-propelled aircraft, high-atmosphere balloon capsules and other curious items.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Placed on an off-limits grassy area nearby the hangar there are some very uncommon aircraft awaiting restoration, and on the other side a good collection of Mil and Kamov helicopters, including the Mil-24A featured in the third chapter of the John Rambo series, a Mil-10 flying crane helicopter and a huge Mil-6 which used to work as a flying command station.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Nearby is the ‘Yakovlev alley’, where most aircraft from this high-tech design bureau are presented.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Approaching the far end of the exhibition grounds you can spot some of the Soviet ‘big ones’, including an Antonov An-22 Anthei, an Ilyushin Il-76, an Il-62 and a very rare Tupolev Tu-114 turboprop with counter-rotating propellers. This was among the fastest-flying propeller-driven aircraft in history.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Recently added to the collection, on one corner of the exhibition are two truly iconic Cold War veterans, a Tupolev Tu-142 and a Tu-22M Backfire, both retired production exemplars.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Other interesting items are a rare Beriev Be-12 huge seaplane, a pretty old Ilyushin Il-18 and a Il-2, and obviously the world-famous prototype Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic liner.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Before taking to the ‘MiG alley’ and ‘Sukhoi alley’ reaching to the exit, three unique prototypes should not go unnoticed, namely the Lavochkin La-250 supersonic interceptor, with a 1956 variable incidence delta wing, the high altitude Myasischev M-17, a twin tailed, ultra-high aspect ratio wing, the Buran flight emulator, created to reproduce the flight dynamics of the ill-fated Buran orbiter in terminal maneuvers, and the Bertini-Beriev VVA-14 ekranoplane. The latter was off-limits when I visited, and could be spotted sitting derelict in the backyard, awaiting restoration.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Approaching the exit you can notice a full array of MiGs, including some more rare to find in the West, like the MiG-25 ‘anti-Blackbird’ Mach-3 interceptor, and various Sukhoi designs ranging from early prototypes to the more modern exemplars. Among them a Lisunov Li-2, a licensed Douglas C-47, was undergoing active restoration when I visited.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Finally, some photos of the ‘pleasant village’ of Monino, a former militarized village.
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft
Central Museum of the Russian Air Force Monino Moscow Soviet Aircraft