Teufelsberg (Abandoned spy station)

A Cold War relic lies abandoned on top of a mountain made of rubble, built over a Nazi college which couldn't be destroyed after the end of World War II. The gates of the former US spy station are locked and secure; its perimeter sealed with an uncompromising high fence, an angry criss-cross mesh of wires which clearly imply: "Eintritt Verboten!"

Welcome to Teufelsberg, literally "Devil's Mountain", an 80-metre hill made from an estimated 12 million cubic metres of war rubble (apparently about 400,000 bombed houses) pushed together in the north of the Grünewald forest in West Berlin.
Buried deep beneath is what's left of a planned Nazi-military training school designed by chief Nazi architect Albert Speer. So sturdy was it that attempts by the Allies to destroy it failed, so they covered it with rubble instead - there was plenty of it around at the time. Every day, 80 truckloads of 7,000 cubic metres of rubble collected mostly by local women used to arrive.

Perched atop this man-made mound now sits the old abandoned intelligence-gathering station used during the Cold War by the Americans and British to learn what was going on in Russian-controlled East Germany. It wasn't very discreet; three huge bulbous globes, "radomes", perched on top of buildings three-stories high and another sitting a further six-stories higher, creating a giant condom-shaped tower.
I mean, the Ruskis must have known this stuff was there, especially as it was built on Berlin's highest "mountain". Perhaps the "Amis" wanted their foes to see their phallic handiwork. Very proud of their phallic handiwork are the Americans. The British, of course, are proficient.

Due to its unique fucked-up history - a starring role in two World Wars and subsequent division between the world's superpowers - Berlin was at the centre of the so-called Cold War. Nothing to do with nuclear snowballs, this was a pseudo war which always flattered to deceive, but one which ultimately never came to fruition despite the considerable expense accrued by its protagonists. A total waste of money and a perfect illustration of human folly.

Spying and surveillance were the order of the day in divided Berlin. American mobile listening units, eavesdropping on Soviet and East German communications in the late 1950s, discovered that they got better reception and coverage from the top of the 115 metre high Teufelsberg. What a surprise.
Construction of the first buildings began shortly after 1961, and Field Station Teufelsberg gradually grew over the following years to become one of the West's largest spying stations ever.

As the mountain was in fact located in the British sector of Berlin, the Brits and Americans cooperated on their spying programmes. (Presumably this means the Brits did whatever the US' National Security Agency told them to.)
USM 620 Kilo, as it was also known, was part of the world-wide Echelon spy network.

Each radome globe contained huge 12 metre satellite dishes and the most sophisticated up-to-date spying equipment, enabling the western powers interpret satellite signals, radio waves, microwave links and radar transmissions, before interpreting and analysing their findings. Apparently they didn't really trust the Ruskis that much, and who could blame them? Mind you, the Americans and Brits are no angels either.

Field Station Teufelsberg lost its raison d'être after the fall of the Berlin Wall and end of the Cold War, and was abandoned in 1991 to the Wildschwein which apparently call Grünewald home. The Americans used to call them "Grunie Pigs". I didn't meet any of course, proving again beyond a shadow of a doubt that they don't exist.

The 4.7 hectare site was sold to developers for 5.2 million Deutschmark, and they started with their plans to build "exclusive" apartments (must have been Irish developers), a hotel and restaurant, as well as a spy-museum. Spiralling costs put paid to all that however, and the project was abandoned mid-construction after reaching debts of €50 million.

In February of last year, filmmaker David Lynch tried buy the place along with some crazy foundation of meditationists and yoga-bashers who wanted to build a "Happiness College" featuring a 12-storey 50 metre high "Tower of Invincibility" to house some 1,000 students. The city turned down the proposals for some reason.

Some other group of crazies, nostalgic for the good old Cold War days, want to preserve the remains of Field Station Teufelsberg as a memorial. They bemoan the damage caused to their beloved "beautiful" spy station by vandals and other unwanted visitors. The "Save Teufelsberg" campaign is now in full swing.

Meanwhile, the site itself just begs to be explored. Sightseeing once again involves tresspassing, but that's what makes it so much more fun! If something is verboten, it means it must be good. On Tuesday I found a hole in the previously-thought inpregnable fence and so below I offer once again a little guide so others can enjoy it too.

What
Field Station Teufelsberg (Abandoned spy station and Cold War relic.)
Where
Teufelsbergchaussee, 14193, Berlin.
How to get there
Get the S-Bahn, S9 or S75 to Heerstraße, or S1 to Grünewald and walk from there. Map can be accessed here.
Getting in
There's a double fence in places, but at the southern end of the site is a large hole through which a person can easily pass. From the carpark simply walk the paved "Dragonfly street" path until you come to the fence. Turn right, and the hole is about 20 metres to the right.
When to go
Daytime is better for observation purposes. Teufelsberg also provides good vistas of the city of Berlin. Nighttime could be good for parties, although care should be taken not to drunkenly fall from the unsecured tower.
Difficulty rating
2/10 Quite easy. Just a matter of finding the gap in the fence.
Who to bring
Friends for a party and exporation. Girlfriend/boyfriend for a romantic vista over Berlin.
What to bring
Camera. Beer. Maybe a few sandwiches. All that exploring can be hungry work!
Dangers
Not all ladders in the towers are secured to the concrete. Be careful! Luckily I was able to climb back down the one I ascended, or I'd still be there now.
Wind. Can get very breezy on Berlin's highest point. Most of the surviving buildings don't have walls so be careful you don't get blown off!

Again, spread the word, and suggestions for other abandoned and dangerous sites to be explored would be most welcome!
Mehr Bilder sind hier.