Dorotheenstadt-Friedrichswerder Cemetery

Before heading to the abandoned roundhouse I had about an hour to kill. Dorotheenstadt-Friedrichswerder Cemetery was on my way to the S-train station I needed to be at so I thought it was the perfect time to explore it. The Protestant cemetery of Dorotheenstadt and Friedrichswerder parishes started in 1770 after Prussian King Frederick II donated land outside the walls of the old city for the purposes of burial. The fear of epidemics and the growing shortage of land to build on were the reason for this move. The cemetery expanded several times until 1826 and was originally intended for burial of lower class peoples. However, it eventually became the resting place of notable people in arts and sciences because of its close proximity to Humboldt University and other academies.

Like the Sophien II Cemetery and Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery, Dorotheenstadt-Friedrichswerder also has an interesting history. The cemetery has faced thieves, who took stole precious metals from Prussian era graves, and destruction during World War II. While the cemetery has had some restoration it is estimated that it could cost upwards to €6 million for future restorations. Also like the other mass graves, D-F also contains a memorial to those who resisted the Nazi regime as well as a mass grave to those who died towards the end of the war but could not be identified.

This was the largest (at least it appeared to be) and busiest of the three cemeteries I visited. It's layout was kind of confusing to me as it appeared there was a cemetery within a cemetery. I had just finished in one part when I realized there was a path leading into another large section of the cemetery. I didn't have enough time to explore the whole thing because I had to meet Cheryl and Elizabeth at the abandoned roundhouse, but I hope to one day go back and explore. I really enjoyed walking around this cemetery because it was so beautiful, but I just felt weird taking photos with so many people around.

Are you surprised by the history of these cemeteries?

Abandoned Pankow-Heinersdorf Roundhouse

Ever since I started investing more into this blog after moving to Russia I've "met" some really cool bloggers. One of them is Cheryl Howard. When I knew I was going to Berlin I messaged her and I asked her about places to stay in Germany. At some point she offered to meet up and asked me what I would like to see. She gave me a couple of abandoned options and I chose the Pankow-Heinersdorf Roundhouse. After a morning of breakfast and cemetery walking I managed to get navigate the Berlin metro all by myself and made it to the station. Without a working cell phone I only hoped I was at the right place and that Cheryl and Elizabeth (who I also invited) would be able to find me.

If you search the name you'll find tons of blog posts about this place. The Berlin-Stettin train yard grounds were built in 1843 and almost 50 years later the roundhouse was constructed on the property in 1893 to service trains. The grounds were in service until 1997 when it was closed because roundhouses just aren't that necessary with the newer diesel and electric locomotives that require less maintenance. This roundhouse is one of two that still exists in Germany. In the 2000s it was reported a property investor bought the area to build a shopping center, but as of 2018 nothing had been built.

Unfortunately for us, the entire area was surrounded by an electric fence and barbed wire. We tried walking around to the back area where more abandoned buildings were but we had no luck. We even contemplated jumping the fence and risking electric shock, but none of us had the balls nor wanted to be arrested for something as stupid as jumping a fence (or also not knowing if we'd be able to make it back over). Fortunately, though, the roundhouse can be viewed right when you exit the S-train at Pankow-Heinersdorf station. When you exit to the street you get a nice bridge view of the roundhouse as well. Even though we couldn't go into the station it was still close enough where we could get some great photos. If you're interested in seeing photos of the train yard before it closed down this blog is great!

Do you think the German government should preserve this place as a historical landmark?

Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery

Invalidenfriedhof, or Invalid's Cemetery in English, was my last stop of the day before I grabbed dinner. It was only a 3 minute walk from Invalidenpark, so I decided to stop in. Established in 1748 (it's older than the USA), Invalidenfriedhof is one of Berlin's oldest cemeteries and is the resting place of Prussian soldiers. Since then World War I commanders and senior Nazi officials are also buried here. After World War II the allies had all the monuments of Nazi members be removed although their bodies are still at rest in the cemetery.

The cemetery is also placed close to the Berlin Wall which caused destruction to some of the grounds as a result of watch towers, barracks, and roads being built in the 1960s. Restoration began in the 90s when Germany became reunified again. Walking around I noticed there was a large grassy area. with a few headstones throughout. I thought it was just an area for my graves but apparently it contains an unmarked mass grave to those who died from allied Air Raids.

The cemetery also contains part of the Berlin wall, which I saw but didn't think it was what it is. I'm disappointed in myself that I didn't do research for any of these cemeteries beforehand, otherwise, I would have understood their history and known better what I was looking at. Doing research, though, overwhelms me because there is so much to see and do, but also most "must see" places are overrated tourist stops that only require about a day for me.

Do you do research before visiting a place?