Archives
Krankenhaus Königsallee
Hospitals usually don't close, they move elsewhere instead. But what gets left behind are still abandoned hospitals. Sometimes they remain full of stuff, sometimes they are almost completely emptied. And while this hospital somewhere in Western Germany is one of the latter cases, it still featured some interesting pictures.
Chambre de Commerce
A trading exchange with a long tradition. The building had been destroyed and rebuilt a couple of times and is currently abandoned while some very slow restauration works are in progress.
Located in the middle of a very busy city, getting in and out unseen was tough but worth it.
A Digital Examination of Eastern Germany
Here come the digital shots from lots of different locations in Eastern Germany we visited during our Easter-Trip. Including but not limited to the Solbad Wittekind, the Adolf Bleichert Werke, 2 train workshops, a gasometer and a water mill.
An Analog Examination of Eastern Germany
The awesome weather over Easter provided a perfect opportunity to head over to Eastern Germany and test a new toy: an analog medium format camera. Lots of pictures from different locations captured on different films.
Sturmgepäck Day 2: The Premetro
Sneaking around in a giant premetro network under a major Belgian city. Construction stopped some 30 years ago and the whole system has been sealed off ever since. Long tunnels and shells of stations waited to be explored.
Sturmgepäck Day 1: Steam Train Depot
An abandoned Steam Train Depot full of trains and carriages from days long gone. Most of them in great condition, ready for a museum. First half of a weekend in Belgium with as little luggage as my camera backpack would hold.
Les Catacombes de Ruhrpott
Going underground in Germany's Ruhr Area. Wading through half flooded bunkers. Capturing the light and the darkness. Experiencing the fascinating shapes nature turns man made structures into when left alone for years and years.
Intercom Belgium
The surroundings of a mothballed Powerstation somewhere in Belgium. The main building was not accessible so I climbed around a bit on the coal cranes and inside the cooling tower.
Métro Léger de Charleroi
Finished stations, unfinished stations, rail tracks, tunnels, concrete, graffiti. This light rail construction project in southern Belgium was mothballed before it was even completed and now has been abandoned for some time.
NSA Teufelsberg
Another one off the checklist. Visiting the abandoned NSA Listening Station on top of the Teufelsberg in Berlin during the day. Yes, the place also has a cold war history, but the view from the top is just much more exciting.
Monument Day: Subway of Berlin
I happened to be in Berlin for the Day of the open monument and accidentally stumbled over the opportunity to enter parts of the subway tunnels, walk around in there and even take a bunch of pictures.
White Mesa Explosives Research Institute
Abandoned Explosives Research Institute hidden somewhere deep in the German forest. Steel, Concrete, Pipes, Valves, Control Panels, Bunkers, Blast Doors, they had everything I love. And completely free of graffiti and vandalism.
Röschen's Hölzchen
A small abandoned hotel/restaurant on top of a hill we visited on our last day in Thüringen/Eastern Germany. A strange place with many small things to see.
Hotel Black Corner
Initially built as a sanatorium more than 100 years ago, this place has seen a fair piece of German history - at least one world war, the separation, the cold war and the reunification. Beautiful architecture, a great view and lots of trash.
Rapunzel, let down your pants!
I could hear the tour guide explaining this and that to his followers who seemed genuinely interested in looking at everything he was pointing at — on the outside of the castle. Nobody of them had the slightest idea that right behind the wall they were looking at, a radically different type of tourism was under way. Literally a parallel world that they couldn't enter, just because of their own narrow-mindedness. Standing on the right side of the wall was kind of an exhilarating experience.
Train Workshop
First stop of a 3 day trip to the Eastern German state of Thüringen. An old and abandoned train workshop that has mostly been taken over by nature. Thanks to the great weather, it still had a couple of photo opportunities to offer.
A day at the pool
After a tough week of work, there's hardly anything more relaxing than a day at the pool. Even better if the weather is perfect. Now imagine the pool is abandoned and has a huge amount of photo opportunities to offer. That sums up my trip to the "Stadtbad" pretty well.
Metal Works August
A very small factory for general metal works and bicycle accessories. Located in the middle of nowhere, it has been subject almost exclusively to natural decay over the past few years. Strangely, that natural decay seems to have struck harder than most vandals ever could. Nonetheless, this locations has lots of beautiful details to offer.
Berlin Day 5: Tempelhof
The grand finale of the Berlin Trip was the Airport Berlin-Tempelhof. Once the largest building on planet Earth, it is considered to be the mother of all modern airports. It was shut down in 2008 but is now far from abandoned, so the best way to explore it is by paying for a tour.
Berlin Night 4: Balls of Steel
Nighttime exploration to the abandoned NSA Field Station standing on top of the Teufelsberg. Strong winds were blowing, but the view over Berlin was magnificent.
Berlin Day 4: Anomalous Materials
A chemical laboratory in a very good condition. Essentially no signs of vandalism or graffiti. That's why I'm not going to post much info about it. Enjoy!
Berlin Day 3: The Beelitz Heilstätten are Decadent and Depraved
A huge hospital complex near Berlin that was built in the late 19th and early 20th century. It has been used as a sanatorium and later as a war hospital by the Germans and the Russians. Now it is one of Germany's most well known abandonments and is invaded by hordes of tourists every weekend. I was one of them.
Berlin Day 2: Communist Nazis
On the second day in Berlin we visited another abandoned army base. It was built by the Nazis as a school for cavalry and motorized infantry. After the war it was taken over by the Red Army. It was closed in 1994 and has been used as a set for a few movies since then.
Berlin Day 1: Eagles and Lions
On the first afternoon of my trip to Berlin i visited this abandoned army base in eastern Germany. It was last used by the Russians who had some tanks based there.
Police Academy
We stumbled over this after half a day of failures. It must have been a cavalry base of the Prussian army which was later taken over by the German police and used as a training and school site for cops. Now parts are abandoned, parts have been demolished and parts are being converted into condos.
Sinteranlage
Quite famous among urban explorers and photographers is the Sinteranlage. It produced some important ingredient for the steel industry but is now way more interesting for the massive amounts of brick and rust it still contains. With floors and walls missing everywhere and machines and instruments largely stolen, it provides a shining reminder that nothing lasts forever - not even Krupp steel.
Centrale Thermique
An abandoned power plant that burned poisonous gas from the nearby mining industry to produce electricity. It has long been abandoned and welded shut, but inside a complex maze of pipes, tanks and valves waits to be photographed. Definitely one of my favorites.
Centrale D'Oxygene Liquide
Little do i know about this location. I'm not even sure which country it is in. Text on the building indicates that it was built in 1934 and produced liquid oxygen. It looks like it has been closed some time ago as there is not much of it left.
Furniture Paradise
This is one of those places that nobody has been to. The Furniture Paradise Tacke went bankrupt in 2001, re-opened with the new name LifeLine and went bankrupt for good only four years later. The "concrete ruin" and "blemish" has been slated for demolition ever since, but thanks to the astounding efficiency of the local politicians, it's still standing tall.
Abrasives Factory
Abandoned Abrasives Factory. Founded in 1909, taken over by a competitor in 1990 and closed in 1992 because production moved to a new facility right across the street. Although it has been vandalized for 17 years, it still has some beautiful spots.
The entire thing is now available for rent.
Quartier Legrand
An abandoned army base. It was last used by the Belgian Army, who left in 2004. Since then it has been rapidly decaying. I don't know much about how the Belgian Army builds bases, but here approximately every second room contains either a bar or a toilet.
Krankenhaus Königsallee
Hospitals usually don't close, they move elsewhere instead. But what gets left behind are still abandoned hospitals. Sometimes they remain full of stuff, sometimes they are almost completely emptied. And while this hospital somewhere in Western Germany is one of the latter cases, it still featured some interesting pictures.
Chambre de Commerce
A trading exchange with a long tradition. The building had been destroyed and rebuilt a couple of times and is currently abandoned while some very slow restauration works are in progress.
Located in the middle of a very busy city, getting in and out unseen was tough but worth it.
A Digital Examination of Eastern Germany
Here come the digital shots from lots of different locations in Eastern Germany we visited during our Easter-Trip. Including but not limited to the Solbad Wittekind, the Adolf Bleichert Werke, 2 train workshops, a gasometer and a water mill.
An Analog Examination of Eastern Germany
The awesome weather over Easter provided a perfect opportunity to head over to Eastern Germany and test a new toy: an analog medium format camera. Lots of pictures from different locations captured on different films.
Sturmgepäck Day 2: The Premetro
Sneaking around in a giant premetro network under a major Belgian city. Construction stopped some 30 years ago and the whole system has been sealed off ever since. Long tunnels and shells of stations waited to be explored.
Sturmgepäck Day 1: Steam Train Depot
An abandoned Steam Train Depot full of trains and carriages from days long gone. Most of them in great condition, ready for a museum. First half of a weekend in Belgium with as little luggage as my camera backpack would hold.
Les Catacombes de Ruhrpott
Going underground in Germany's Ruhr Area. Wading through half flooded bunkers. Capturing the light and the darkness. Experiencing the fascinating shapes nature turns man made structures into when left alone for years and years.
Intercom Belgium
The surroundings of a mothballed Powerstation somewhere in Belgium. The main building was not accessible so I climbed around a bit on the coal cranes and inside the cooling tower.
Métro Léger de Charleroi
Finished stations, unfinished stations, rail tracks, tunnels, concrete, graffiti. This light rail construction project in southern Belgium was mothballed before it was even completed and now has been abandoned for some time.
NSA Teufelsberg
Another one off the checklist. Visiting the abandoned NSA Listening Station on top of the Teufelsberg in Berlin during the day. Yes, the place also has a cold war history, but the view from the top is just much more exciting.
Monument Day: Subway of Berlin
I happened to be in Berlin for the Day of the open monument and accidentally stumbled over the opportunity to enter parts of the subway tunnels, walk around in there and even take a bunch of pictures.
White Mesa Explosives Research Institute
Abandoned Explosives Research Institute hidden somewhere deep in the German forest. Steel, Concrete, Pipes, Valves, Control Panels, Bunkers, Blast Doors, they had everything I love. And completely free of graffiti and vandalism.
Röschen's Hölzchen
A small abandoned hotel/restaurant on top of a hill we visited on our last day in Thüringen/Eastern Germany. A strange place with many small things to see.
Hotel Black Corner
Initially built as a sanatorium more than 100 years ago, this place has seen a fair piece of German history - at least one world war, the separation, the cold war and the reunification. Beautiful architecture, a great view and lots of trash.
Rapunzel, let down your pants!
I could hear the tour guide explaining this and that to his followers who seemed genuinely interested in looking at everything he was pointing at — on the outside of the castle. Nobody of them had the slightest idea that right behind the wall they were looking at, a radically different type of tourism was under way. Literally a parallel world that they couldn't enter, just because of their own narrow-mindedness. Standing on the right side of the wall was kind of an exhilarating experience.
Train Workshop
First stop of a 3 day trip to the Eastern German state of Thüringen. An old and abandoned train workshop that has mostly been taken over by nature. Thanks to the great weather, it still had a couple of photo opportunities to offer.
A day at the pool
After a tough week of work, there's hardly anything more relaxing than a day at the pool. Even better if the weather is perfect. Now imagine the pool is abandoned and has a huge amount of photo opportunities to offer. That sums up my trip to the "Stadtbad" pretty well.
Metal Works August
A very small factory for general metal works and bicycle accessories. Located in the middle of nowhere, it has been subject almost exclusively to natural decay over the past few years. Strangely, that natural decay seems to have struck harder than most vandals ever could. Nonetheless, this locations has lots of beautiful details to offer.
Berlin Day 5: Tempelhof
The grand finale of the Berlin Trip was the Airport Berlin-Tempelhof. Once the largest building on planet Earth, it is considered to be the mother of all modern airports. It was shut down in 2008 but is now far from abandoned, so the best way to explore it is by paying for a tour.
Berlin Night 4: Balls of Steel
Nighttime exploration to the abandoned NSA Field Station standing on top of the Teufelsberg. Strong winds were blowing, but the view over Berlin was magnificent.
Berlin Day 4: Anomalous Materials
A chemical laboratory in a very good condition. Essentially no signs of vandalism or graffiti. That's why I'm not going to post much info about it. Enjoy!
Berlin Day 3: The Beelitz Heilstätten are Decadent and Depraved
A huge hospital complex near Berlin that was built in the late 19th and early 20th century. It has been used as a sanatorium and later as a war hospital by the Germans and the Russians. Now it is one of Germany's most well known abandonments and is invaded by hordes of tourists every weekend. I was one of them.
Berlin Day 2: Communist Nazis
On the second day in Berlin we visited another abandoned army base. It was built by the Nazis as a school for cavalry and motorized infantry. After the war it was taken over by the Red Army. It was closed in 1994 and has been used as a set for a few movies since then.
Berlin Day 1: Eagles and Lions
On the first afternoon of my trip to Berlin i visited this abandoned army base in eastern Germany. It was last used by the Russians who had some tanks based there.
Police Academy
We stumbled over this after half a day of failures. It must have been a cavalry base of the Prussian army which was later taken over by the German police and used as a training and school site for cops. Now parts are abandoned, parts have been demolished and parts are being converted into condos.
Sinteranlage
Quite famous among urban explorers and photographers is the Sinteranlage. It produced some important ingredient for the steel industry but is now way more interesting for the massive amounts of brick and rust it still contains. With floors and walls missing everywhere and machines and instruments largely stolen, it provides a shining reminder that nothing lasts forever - not even Krupp steel.
Centrale Thermique
An abandoned power plant that burned poisonous gas from the nearby mining industry to produce electricity. It has long been abandoned and welded shut, but inside a complex maze of pipes, tanks and valves waits to be photographed. Definitely one of my favorites.
Centrale D'Oxygene Liquide
Little do i know about this location. I'm not even sure which country it is in. Text on the building indicates that it was built in 1934 and produced liquid oxygen. It looks like it has been closed some time ago as there is not much of it left.
Furniture Paradise
This is one of those places that nobody has been to. The Furniture Paradise Tacke went bankrupt in 2001, re-opened with the new name LifeLine and went bankrupt for good only four years later. The "concrete ruin" and "blemish" has been slated for demolition ever since, but thanks to the astounding efficiency of the local politicians, it's still standing tall.
Abrasives Factory
Abandoned Abrasives Factory. Founded in 1909, taken over by a competitor in 1990 and closed in 1992 because production moved to a new facility right across the street. Although it has been vandalized for 17 years, it still has some beautiful spots.
The entire thing is now available for rent.
Quartier Legrand
An abandoned army base. It was last used by the Belgian Army, who left in 2004. Since then it has been rapidly decaying. I don't know much about how the Belgian Army builds bases, but here approximately every second room contains either a bar or a toilet.