Beelitz Heilstätten

- darkometer rating: 6 -

A former sanatorium complex near Berlin in east Germany, built at the start of the 20th century mainly for tuberculosis sufferers. During the Cold-War era it was used as the Soviets' largest military hospital outside the USSR. When the Soviets departed, the complex was left abandoned and soon became dilapidated – and a magnet for urban explorers and photographers. But it also attracted a lot of vandalism.

Now parts of the complex have undergone refurbishment and found new uses (including medical ones). However, a significant portion of the abandoned buildings has been commodified as an unusual tourist attraction. So you can still see beautiful dilapidation, but the insides of the buildings are now only visitable on officially sanctioned guided tours.

>More background info

>What there is to see

>Location

>Access and costs

>Time required

>Combinations with other dark destinations

>Combinations with non-dark destinations

>Photos

More background info: The industrial revolution and rapid growth of urban populations in the 19th century brought with it not only widespread poverty within the proletariat, but also its own health issues.

In Berlin – as in other large cities affected by this growth – worker families often lived in very cramped and gloomy conditions, sometimes all in one single room, beds were shared and even rented out to day sleepers (who had specialized in working night shifts). Moreover sanitary conditions were poor. And so was nutrition, lacking fresh vegetables, fruit or meat (all of which were expensive) and relying largely on bread and potatoes. This further weakened people's immune systems.

All this gave diseases a fertile breeding ground – and one illness spread to frightening levels in particular: tuberculosis (TB). This highly infectious disease affects primarily the lungs, causing chronic coughing with sputum containing blood, but also fever and gradual weight loss.

The latter is the reason why the disease also became known as “Schwindsucht” ('consumption' in English). In Berlin it was also referred to as “die Motten” ('the moths') as the holes in the lungs that allegedly form due to TB were seen as resembling the holes that developed in clothing when stored in moth-infested wardrobes.

Left untreated, TB is a deadly disease with a mortality rate of 50%. And as it became increasingly widespread in the latter half of the 19th century, with many workers unfit to continue their jobs and/or dying young, it began to have a negative effect on overall industrial productivity. TB was especially prevalent in the city of Berlin. As the turn of the century approached allegedly as many as about one in three Berliners were dying of tuberculosis.

To counter this development, the German Reich created the first system of universal health insurance for workers. Reich Chancellor Otto von Bismarck is usually credited with having instigated this pioneering legislation, yet he didn't do so for purely humanitarian reasons alone. He was also under political pressure from the rise of the social democratic party and more generally the workers' movement. He saw the introduction of social insurance as a way to “bribe” the workers into accepting the state and seeing it as caring for the poor proletariat (he literally used the German equivalent 'bestechen', somewhat cynically but also with sheer honesty and realism). That is: politically it was also a way of legitimizing and stabilizing the system of governance at the time.

The relevant laws were passed from 1883 onwards – in stages: health insurance was later supplemented with further insurance against accidents and disability.

Around the same time, the bacillus that causes TB was discovered by the pioneering microbiologist and physician Robert Koch in 1882 (the discovery would later win him the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1905), which greatly enhanced the proper understanding of the disease, how it spreads, and led to advanced ways of treating it.

As funds coming from the new insurance systems built up, major investments were made in building sanatoriums for treating the large numbers of TB sufferers. One such complex was begun in 1898 in the forest near Beelitz, some 30 miles (45 km) south-west of Berlin.

The location was chosen for good reasons, not only was it far away from the choking industry and the squalor of the gloomy living quarters of the proletariat in the city, but it was also in a forest, whose clean air was presumed to be especially beneficial for TB sufferers.

The whole area was subdivided into four parts separated, on the one hand, by the rail line running through the middle from east to west and, on the other, by the road running north to south. The northern two quarters were for patients suffering from lung diseases, i.e. primarily tuberculosis, the southern two were for other patients. The infectious TB sufferers were thus separated from others. In addition there was segregation of the sexes in both halves of the complex. The western two quarters were for women, the eastern ones for men.

The sites were deliberately not referred to as “Krankenhäuser” ('hospitals') but “Heilstätten” ('sanatoriums'). The more positive connotations were psychologically intended, as a general optimistic outlook was seen as part of the healing process.

A similar combination of practicalities and psychology can be seen in the fact that the design of the sanatorium buildings was truly palatial. Most patients would never have seen such grandeur before. The architectural design alluded to grand English country manors, with richly decorated façades. The rooms were very spacious with high ceilings and large windows – again, not only to make them look pretty, but also for practical reasons: to let in plenty of light (all patient rooms faced south for that reason too) and to allow a good air flow. A complex ventilation system was also designed for the buildings.

While looking grand and palatially old-fashioned from the outside, the internal architecture was cutting-edge modern, employing the latest building techniques such as steel frames, which allowed large column-free dining halls, for example, and huge water tanks on the roof.

Patients would spend a lot of time outside their rooms, though, because lying in beds outdoors in the fresh forest air (even in winter) was part of the treatment regime. Also an important element were some strict rules: e.g. against alcohol or visiting the opposite sex at the sanatorium next door (see above). TB patients were also required to carry around a special container made of blue glass called “blauer Heinrich” ('blue Henry') – this was to be used by each individual to spit the infectious sputum into as they were coughing it up. The containers had to be emptied at designated collection points from where the contents would then be taken to a special department where it was clinically disposed of. Anybody caught spitting into the open would have risked getting kicked out of the sanatorium. In practice, however, the strict rules were apparently not so thoroughly policed, going by eyewitness reports from the time.

When completed, the Beelitz Heilstätten had space for a total 1200 patients and for 500 employees. They were basically self-sufficient closed towns, with everything from kitchens, bakeries, butchers, laundries, bath houses and even its own power station all on site. In between the buildings the grounds were basically sprawling parks. But beyond these, the sanatoriums even had their own farms, orchards and fields for growing potatoes and rye.

The running of the sanatorium was interrupted by World War One, when the complex served as a military hospital. In 1916 a soldier treated here was a certain Austrian lance corporal named Adolf Hitler, who had been injured in leg during the Battle of the Somme in France.

After the war, the sanatorium operation was resumed. In 1930 the final and most modern building was completed: the surgical ward. Back in those days, severe cases of tuberculosis were also treated surgically, by cutting out badly affected portions of the lungs.

After Hitler's rise to power the room he had stayed in at Beelitz became a kind of “Führer” shrine in 1934 – at this point they obviously didn't know yet that only a few years later Hitler would plunge Germany and the world into another war, WWII. During that war time Beelitz again became a military hospital.

At the end of WWII, it was clear that the era of the TB sanatoriums was over. Meanwhile a new antibiotic against tuberculosis had been developed in 1943 and in general the treatment of the disease in the Beelitz style had become outdated.

Moreover, the whole complex was taken over by the Soviet military and from 1950 was turned into their largest military hospital outside the USSR. It was also one of the most advanced such facilities and had a very good reputation. It remained largely out of bounds to Germans, although a few were employed in ancillary buildings such as the power station. The region around Beelitz Heilstätten became heavily influenced by the Russian presence. Even though the Soviet soldiers were not supposed to “fraternize” with the locals, there were contacts.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and with the dissolution of the GDR becoming ever more likely in early 1990, the Soviet military hospital at Beelitz had its final prominent guests: it was here that the Soviets granted Erich Honecker and his wife Margot asylum, and provided them with accommodation in a doctor's villa.

The former leader of the GDR was at that time being legally charged with 'incitement of manslaughter' (“Anstiftung zum Totschlag”) mainly due to his role in the creation and legitimization of the border regime of the GDR, including the “Schießbefehl” (literally 'firing order') on anybody trying to flee, through which many were indeed killed at this most infamous border. Needless to say the fugitive Honecker himself denied any guilt.

Eventually, in a secret operation the Honeckers were flown out of Beelitz and the GDR to Moscow – as a last gesture of the former brotherly friendship between the USSR and the GDR. (Of course, the USSR soon collapsed too, after which Honecker returned to Germany but was too unfit to stand trial so he joined his wife in exile in Chile, where he died in 1994.)

The Soviet military moved out of Beelitz in stages after Germany's reunification. The unified state's regaining of full sovereignty basically meant that the former occupation powers had to leave. A few US bases were kept, but all of the Soviets had to leave after the GDR (the former Soviet Zone) ceased to exist. Moving the half a million Soviet troops with all their gear out of eastern Germany was a huge logistical operation so it took several years. The last Soviet personnel left Beelitz in 1995.

For a short while there was the idea of keeping at least a part of the former sanatorium as a German-Russian children's hospital. Some 800 children had already been sent here after the Chernobyl disaster. Moreover, many of the doctors who had worked here were unwilling to leave. But in the end nothing came of these plans.

During the remainder of the 1990s, there were other big plans. A private investor intended to turn much of the complex into a residential area. But all that eventually folded when the company went bankrupt in 2001. Only one of the large buildings had been restored and was taken over by a neurological clinic.

While new investors and more secure plans for the future were investigated, most of the buildings became a playground for urban explorers but unfortunately also the target of much vandalism. I've seen pictures of the interiors from the early 2000s, when paint was peeling, but at least windows and tiles were still intact. Now there is infinitely more evidence of mindless destruction.

For a good while the Beelitz Heilstätten became legendary for the unique atmosphere in what was practically a palatial ghost town. This not only attracted photographers but parts of the complex were also used as a film set – e.g. for the movies “The Pianist” (2002), “Valkyrie” (2008) and more recently “A Cure for Wellness” (2016).

Meanwhile, plans have materialized and the future looks a bit more certain now. In addition to the neurological clinic, parts of the southern former women's sanatorium now also house medical facilities (in particular a hospital for patients with Parkinson's disease). Other parts are still undergoing restoration and rededication.

However, the former TB sanatorium for women in the north-western quarter of the complex is now being commodified for visitors/tourists. The new “Baumkronenpfad” ('tree-top trail') already opened in 2015 – and there are plans for its expansion by the private company that runs it, called “Baum & Zeit” ('tree and time/history').

But the main thing that's of special interest for dark tourists is the fact that you can now go on guided tours through the ruined buildings. Three of the regularly running tours are described below.

In addition you can also arrange special tours (including tours for photographers!) in the other still abandoned buildings across the road in what was the TB sanatorium for men.

Occasionally the former power station, which has been refurbished by a dedicated restoration association, is also open to the public.

What there is to see: The days when you could just freely explore all the abandoned buildings of the former Beelitz Heilstätten complex are over. The only freely accessible building, in theory, is the neurological clinic in the restored main sanatorium building that formerly was for male TB sufferers. However, even though the building is open to the public, one shouldn't just roam around the corridors amongst the patients, of course. But the cafeteria is a place you are actually encouraged to visit (see below)

The main commodified and regularly accessible part of the complex is at the north-western quarter, the former sanatorium for female TB sufferers. The key new attraction installed here is the “Baumkronenpfad” ('treetop trail') that was specially commissioned by the private operator “Baum & Zeit” ('tree and time/history').

That doesn't sound especially dark, but it does give you a bird's-eye overview of the entire complex. This is especially true for the first part where there is a viewing tower more than twice the height of the rest of the installation. From here you can look down onto the roofs of the surrounding ruins as well as the restored neurological clinic. And you can see as far as the water tower and the chimney stack of the former power station in the south-eastern quarter of the complex. After having enjoyed the views you then take the stairs back down and follow the route of the treetop trail proper.

This offers unique insights (literally speaking) into the largest ruin here: the “Alpenhaus” ('Alpine House'). This has actually been a ruin since the end of WWII, when it was hit by bombs during the final battles around Berlin and the roof caught fire. The building was never restored after that. The sturdy walls are all still standing, though, as is most the steel frame that used to support the roof. You can also still see the rusty hulk of the ex-water tank atop the roof. But the roof as such is gone. In its stead a rooftop forest has grown here over the decades (allegedly it is now one of the largest in the world). It's a pretty weird and wonderful sight to behold. It's even said that there is a fox living up here.

On the walls you will see plenty of inscriptions in Cyrillic – obviously from the time when the complex was a Soviet military hospital (see above). The largest signs basically say “danger, do not enter” but many other, smaller inscriptions are actually graffiti (often names of places where the Soviet soldiers were from). There's also modern-day graffiti in many places, and sometimes you can spot some in locations that make you wonder how the sprayer could have got there (probably years ago before the complex was commodified).

The trail actually crosses over the rooftop to the other side of the building, where there is another observation platform. Along the trail there are information panels that provide some background info to what you're seeing. More of these can be found back down at ground level. These panels are all bilingual in German and English (and the translations are decent enough).

You can walk the treetop trail and explore the park-like areas around it freely and at your own speed (once you've paid your admission fee, that is). But you cannot enter any of the buildings. That is these days only possible on guided tours. The regular tours are in German only. For English tours you'll have to make arrangements in advance (see below!)

There are several tours to choose from. The one entitled “Zeitenwandel-Wandelzeiten” (roughly 'changing times, time for a wander') takes place daily and provides a general overview of the history of the Beelitz Heilstätten. The route of this tour is mostly outdoors, except that at the end it also includes a short visit to one corner of the former surgical ward.

But there are also two tours that concentrate on the interiors of several buildings, but these take place only at weekends and during public holidays. The one entitled “Alltag in Beelitz Heilstätten” ('everyday life in the Beelitz sanatorium) covers the inside of the “Alpenhaus” (that ruin that the treetop trail crosses over), in particular the grand former dining hall, as well as the former bath house and the kitchen block. The other tour is entirely inside the “alte Chirurgie” (the surgical ward).

When I visited, on Easter Monday 2017, I managed to go on all three of these tours, starting with the “everyday life” tour, followed by the “changing times” tour and finally the tour of the surgical ward. They were all excellent, with three different but all equally enthusiastic and informative guides – the tours were supposed to last an hour or an hour and a half (for the surgical ward), but at least two of them overran that time limit quite a bit (which I welcomed).

Naturally, there is a certain overlap in the narrative, especially the general introduction, but the tours were sufficiently different to warrant doing all of them. If you find that too much, I'd recommend picking one or both of the interior tours and skipping the open-air one (since you can explore those areas on an individual basis anyway).

Especially at the surgical ward, plenty of time was left for photography and participants were even free to roam about on their own instead of following the guide and listening to his narration. You just have to make sure that you're back at the exit at the agreed time to avoid being locked in. I went for a bit of a compromise, never getting too far from the tour but skipping some parts of it (especially bits I thought I'd already heard enough about on the previous tours) and wandering off into empty rooms and corridors in order to explore photographically for a short while on my own.

And since it is a case of images saying more than descriptive words I refer you to the photo gallery below at this point and won't provide more info about what the guides had to say either, so as not to give away too many spoilers.

Outside the area where these tours take place, in and around the fenced area of the Baumkronenpfad, there's still more to explore. In particular you can cross the road and wander around the other side, the north-eastern quarter, which used to be the sanatorium for male TB sufferers. The buildings here are at least as aesthetically dilapidated. But unfortunately their interiors are only accessible on specially arranged tours (see below).

The only building you can pop into is the fully restored big block that now houses a neurological clinic. The cafeteria on the ground floor at the western end of the edifice is open to everybody – and the tour guides had specifically recommended paying it a visit. Not only can you grab a snack and a coffee at affordable prices here, more importantly you get a real-life impression of what the dining hall in the ruined “Alpenhaus” once looked like, because both are of exactly identical architectural design (but the furnishing is obviously different now).

Of the southern half of the complex, only a few parts remain accessible, and currently only the former power station can also be seen from the inside, albeit only on very rare occasions (see below). The rest is either undergoing redevelopment work or has already found other uses and is out of bounds to the general public.

All in all: the special appeal of Beelitz to purist urban explorers may have been dampened a bit since the commodification of the site has made it compulsory to go on guided tours to see the insides of the buildings. But that is still better than the whole area being redeveloped (as was once planned – see above). Also this way the listed buildings receive more protection than they had for many years, and since that curbs vandalism, I think overall it's a good thing. Some of the tours on offer, especially those that cater specially for photographers, are almost as good for urban explorers as the real thing. And you learn a lot more on these tours compared to just wandering about clueless. It's still a magical place and it deserves being treated with an appropriate degree of respect.

So I can only recommend you go to Beelitz and partake in those tours – but plan well ahead if you want to get on the special tours.

Location: in the middle of a large forest some 30 miles (45 km) south-west of Berlin, about 12 miles (20 km) from Potsdam and ca. 3 miles (5 km) north-west of the village of the same name, Beelitz, in the federal state of Brandenburg, eastern Germany.

Google maps locators:

Ticket booths and meeting point for the regular tours: [52.2641, 12.9194]

Treetop trail start point: [52.2637, 12.9178]

Treetop trail end point: [52.2633, 12.9207]

Surgical ward: [52.2654, 12.9158]

Cafeteria in the restored clinic: [52.2671, 12.9236]

Power station: [52.2609, 12.9283]

Train station: [52.2623, 12.9262]

Access and costs: a bit hidden, but not hard to find; mostly quite expensive these days.

Details: To get to Beelitz Heilstätten you can use the train services from either Berlin or Potsdam. There are hourly trains from Berlin central station that take about 40 minutes for the journey (RE7); from Potsdam central station it's only a quarter of an hour. From the station it's then a ca. 10-minute walk to the ticket booths and meeting point for the tours. When exiting the station just head north on the only road going through the complex and follow the signs for “Baumkronenpfad” or “Baum & Zeit” (the name of the company that runs the site).

If you're driving it's dead easy: the motorway A9 goes straight past the complex – take exit No. 2 marked “Beelitz Heilstätten” heading east, and then either take the exit at the roundabout for the northern car park for “Baum & Zeit” … or carry on to try to get closer: at the time I was there (Easter 2017) another car park was under construction right at the ex-sanatorium buildings. Across the road I saw even more parking spaces but I'm not sure if these are public or reserved for the neurological clinic.

You can freely wander around the publicly accessible parts outside the “Baum & Zeit” (tree & time/history'), but to get to the treetop trail and the Alpenhaus you need a ticket. And I'm afraid it's not cheap:

Admission: 9.50 EUR for adults, several moderate concessions apply, and there are also family and group tickets.

Opening times: in the main season (April to October) daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., in winter only to 4 p.m., and only at weekends in November and December. I couldn't find info for January and February, but would presume the same winter times apply – if in doubt check on baumundzeit(dot)de.

The treetop trail is actually wheelchair accessible (thanks to a lift inside the tall observation tower – but there's none at the other end, i.e. you have to return to the starting point to get down again). The tours of the interiors of the abandoned buildings is obviously not suitable for wheelchairs.

In extreme weather, such as during heavy thunderstorms, the elevated treetop trail may have to be closed (or you may have to be evacuated, if it hits while you're up there).

Guided tours:

The regular tour “Zeitenwandel – Wandelzeiten” that is mostly outdoors and within the Baum & Zeit fenced area costs 6 EUR per person. It takes place twice a day in the week, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and at weekends at 12 noon as well as 1, 2 and 3:30 p.m.; it lasts nominally an hour (but mine ended up being quite a bit longer). The meeting point for this tour is inside the fenced Baum & Zeit area, next to the ticket booth – this is also where tour tickets have to be purchased in advance.

The tour “Alltag” (1 hour) that takes in the interiors of three buildings, as well as the “Chirurgie” (90 minutes) tour of just the surgical ward run only at weekends. Then they take place at least twice a day, often three times. Start times seem to vary a little, but the first tours are usually at 11:30 a.m.; there will be a schedule at the entrance specifying the exact times.

These tours cost 10 EUR per person each. The meeting point for these tours is outside the entrance to the Baum & Zeit area, but you also have to get your tickets from their booths in advance. At the start of the tours you are required to sign a disclaimer (since the buildings are so dilapidated – you basically have to enter at your own risk).

If you need a tour in English, you have to arrange this in advance with Baum & Zeit. You can email them at info(at)baumundzeit(dot)de. (Tours in Russian, French or Italian are also possible.)

The Alltag and Chirurgie tours are run by the independent operator with the telling name “Go2know”. That outfit also offers tours of the buildings on the other side of the complex, the former sanatorium for male TB sufferers, whose interiors are normally not accessible.

Moreover, the same company also offers special photography tours that last much longer and come with expert advice and guides who know the locations very well. They offer tours in other abandoned places too and also run special photography workshops at such locations (including “light painting”). The prices for all these vary greatly (from 10 to 180 EUR) and all have to be arranged well in advance – see under go2know(dot)de (German only) or email: mail(at)go2know(dot)de.

Yet another tour guide offers tours around Beelitz, who is also the co-author of a very informative little book you can purchase at the ticket booth of the Baum & Zeit area (5 EUR). Her tours, however, are in German only (as far as I can tell) and do not include the insides of any buildings – except occasionally the old power station:

The old power station has been restored by an independent association of enthusiasts and on a few days a year they offer tours of the site as well. Regular dates are the last Friday of each month between April and September at 2:15 p.m., meeting point is the courtyard between the two halves of the building. Nominally free but donations of 5 EUR (plus 3 EUR for photography) are expected.

If you really want to explore Beelitz you might want to consider staying overnight – and indeed you can: for accommodation there is a country hotel in a building that also used to be part of the sanatorium infrastructure, namely as its disinfection centre. Today it is the “Landhotel Gustav” and it offers a few decent guest rooms and also a restaurant. It's located at the northern end of the road that runs though the Beelitz Heilstätten, not far from the neurological clinic. It also offers private parking for free, so if you're staying there you don't have to bother with the Baum & Zeit car parks.

Apart from this hotel, a couple of other places offer some food & drink, including the “Altes Pförtnerhaus” (the old gatehouse) at the point where the approach path to the treetop trail branches off the main road. Within the “Baum & Zeit” area itself there are also some simple self-service provisions to be had. And finally there is the cafeteria of the neurological clinic in the grand old sanatorium dining hall (see above).

Time required: The treetop trail and the surrounding open-air “Baum & Zeit” area take between half an hour and a full hour. The regular guided tours last between 60 and 90 minutes; in addition you can spend some time wandering about the other parts of the complex too. So it is clear if you add all that up that you can easily spend (at least) a whole day here.

Combinations with other dark destinations: The special photography tours have already been mentioned above. Some of these are also offered at places other than Beelitz that are similar, including at least two other abandoned sanatoriums in the regions around Berlin.

Berlin and Potsdam are the most obvious other destinations within easy reach from Beelitz that can keep a dark tourist busy – for at least a couple of days in Potsdam, or in the case of Berlin for weeks or even months on end (if not “forever”).