2023 - July - Teufelsberg Berlin

If you enjoy photography, you will love the Teufelsberg in Berlin. The former surveillance and listening station of the US armed forces is already interesting enough on its own. Now, as it is more or less in ruins and covered in graffiti, it is even more spectacular and has a dystopian feel to it. After the military withdrawal in 1991, the station was still used as an air traffic control radar until 1999, but has been empty ever since. The outer skins of the radomes are now hanging in tatters, and one could even call the Teufelsberg in Berlin a lost place, although it is not completely lost. Instead of a military use, it now has a tourist use and even requires an entrance fee. I found the signs for the escape routes quite amusing (not so much of a lost place after all!).

I can't tell you how or when the graffiti is applied here, but everything seems to be illegally made. However, the dedications on the edges of the spray art speak against that. Nevertheless, these semi-legal works are perishable. If you look at photos of Teufelsberg graffiti from a few years ago, you won't find some of them anymore because they have simply been painted over.

This somewhat run-down image seems to appeal to many location scouts in the film industry, as several films have had scenes shot here. Examples include 'We Are the Night' (2010), parts of the series 'You Are Wanted' (2017) and 'Berlin Station' (2016), or even the music video by Peter Fox 'Weisse Fahnen' (2023).

The Teufelsberg also seems to be a great location for a unique party. When we were there, two event managers were just dismantling their equipment from the night before. They were celebrating a 50th birthday.

The view from up here is simply breathtaking: you can see almost the entire city of Berlin. Nearby, you can discover, for example, the Olympic Stadium, or in the distance, the television tower.

By the way, we not only brought back many photos as souvenirs from our visit, but also various mosquito bites. On the way from the parking lot to the Teufelsberg itself, there is a small forest where there must be pools of water. I have rarely seen so many mosquitoes around me at the same time. A real plague!

So if you plan to visit, be sure to apply insect repellent beforehand.