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Abandoned Berlin – Blubbering Mess

Written by Thomas Büsch on . Posted in The Passenger, Urban Chant

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Blub, short for Berliner Luft- und Badeparadies (Berlin Air and Bathing Paradise), first opened in Britz beside the Teltow Canal at a cost of 44 million Deutschmark in February 1985. The “bathing paradise” quickly became one of West Berlin’s most popular swimming pool centers. They were humans initially. Apparently some 600,000 used to come here every year to enjoy the various indoor and outdoor pools, saltwater or otherwise.

Visitor numbers dropped in the years after German reunification. Hygiene was an issue in the sauna, whirl-pools and kitchen, while changing rooms were dingy. Perhaps that was when the rats first saw their chance…

On Feb. 1, 2005, the Blub swimming and leisure center closed down. Now the rats have the whole 40,000 square meters to themselves.

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Now the site is owned by a Munich investor group, the imaginatively named H-Group, which plans on knocking the whole place down and building 450 luxury apartments in its wake. Construction on “Greenpark” is due to start this year.

Compilation from Adandoned Berlin by Spudnik Ó Fathaigh, January 2015.

Abandoned Berlin is an attempt to document the past, uncover hidden history and preserve the memory of neglected glories – as they are now.

The buildings may be falling down, vandalized and abused, but they maintain stoic dignity through the dust and decay. They want visitors! They want to share their memories!

Author of Abandoned Berlin is Spudnik Ó Fathaigh who has called Berlin home 2008. He explores the abandoned and forbidden places of todays Berlin – the German capital. So he puts together what he hopes are useful guides, to help people reach these places, share some of the stories and detail some of the difficulties/hazards involved.

He likes the idea that others get the same kick from visiting these places as he does.

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