These are pictures from another huge abandoned place just outside Berlin – ‘Kaserne Krampnitz’. It was built in 1937 as barracks for the riding army and driving school. The architect was Robert Kish. The military grounds were abandoned at the end of WW2 in 1945. After just one day the Russian troops occupied Krampnitz. They left completely in 1994 leaving the area as a derelict ghost village.
Now and then the place has been used for movie and television production. Scenes in movies as ‘Enemy at the Gates’ and ‘Inglorious Basterds’ are shot here.
One of the buildings is called ‘the officers mess/casino’ and it’s in quite good shape after all. Some of the rooms are large halls with dark brown wood walls and fireplaces with old destroyed Nazi eagles. The yellow casino room it’s amazing lamp is quite spectacular.
The soviets destroyed all of the German symbols and swastikas so one of the large discussions going on about Krampnitz is whether the large ceiling mosaic in one of the other buildings is real or not. The mosaic shows an eagle on a German cross with swastika. Some says its put up for the movie ‘Enemy at the Gates’ but I haven’t seen it in that movie. In one of the corners some mosaic pieces has fallen out (look at the large version) and it looks quite real and too much work to put up something like that for a movie. Others claim it is real, painted over by the soviets, and restored for movie making. It is illegal to show the swastika in public in Germany today and it is even sometimes censored as decal in model kits.
We had heard this place was well guarded and was prepared to be thrown out, but didn’t encounter any problems. Wish we had more time on this fantastically large area.
Outside the officers mess. Also seen in the movie ‘Enemy at the gates’.
One of the magnificent halls in the officers mess. Used in ‘Inglorious Basterds’ and ‘Enemy at the gates’.
Large hall with view towards casino room
Hallway. Beginning of chapter four in ‘Inglorious Basterds’ is shot here
One of the fireplaces with destroyed German eagle symbol
Sovet wall decorations
The casino room with it’s incredible lamp
A tennis court between the buildings
Interesting soviet symbols
The almost famous mosaic room
Close up. Large version for detailed view.
The stair from the mosaic location
The theater in another building. Another angle.
Lots of abandoned buildings
From the heating house
Details from the heating house. Also seen in ‘Enemy at the gates’.
Exterior of the building
Krampnitz underworld
Why do people destroy places like these with, if I may say so, rater vulgar drawings?
I love you blog!
Awesome pictures!
Those halls are in amazing condition, how come there’s none of the crappy graffiti Berlin is famous for?
This place is absolutely worth seeing! I read somewhere on the net that it is not legal to enter this block and you might have problems with the law. Is this reliable?
you read correctly. it’s illegal to be there.
I was there for the second time yesterday (July 2012). First time was a little over a year ago. I am very upset to report that some idiots have since gone in and smashed up the officers’ casino and covered the interior walls with graffiti. Such idiots, it beggars belief. At least the murals survived (for now).
How difficult was it to enter the property? I’m from the US I don’t think anyone has realized the value of the antiquities in the resale market. Makes a lot more sense in preservation than demolition.