Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf – An Abandoned Train Yard

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The Roundhouse of Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin

Urban exploring doesn’t get much easier than a visit to the Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf (far easier to visit than say) an abandoned train yard in Berlin.  The train sheds, administrative buildings and turntable are conveniently (for exploring and formerly for repairing and servicing trains) right next to the S-Bahnhof.

Crossing the open land between the road and the main buildings I was a little nervous about being seen from the train station but there are no walls, fences or other barriers.

Opened on 1 October 1893 the train yard and depot operated until the 1990s but has been derelict since.  For a more detailed history of the Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf read this post on Digital Cosmonaut.

The first building I entered was the Roundhouse.

Inside the Roundhouse at Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin

Columns and Windows inside the Roundhouse at Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin

Smile - Street Art by Unknown Artist at Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf

Back outside, I made my way through a number of outbuildings to the Train Turntable (Drehscheibe).

Shooting Target - Street Art by Unknown Artist at Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf

The Engine Sheds, Train Turntable (Drehscheibe) and Administration Building at Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin

The Administration Building and Operating Booth of the Train Turntable at Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin

The Administration Building and Train Turntable (Drehscheibe) at Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin

Then into the Engine sheds.

Sunlight Through a Hole in the Roof of the Engine Shed at Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf

18 at Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin

Inside the Engine Shed at Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin

I went to Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf after my visit to the abandoned Iraqi Embassy so the light was fading at this stage and I didn’t have time to check out the administrative building.  Watching the sun setting over the buildings I didn’t want to leave but exploring in the dark isn’t easy and is potentially dangerous.

The Roundhouse of Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin at Dusk

The Engine Sheds and Train Turntable (Drehscheibe) at Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin

Sunset at the Roundhouse of Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin

For more impressions of the abandoned Bahnbetriebswerk Pankow-Heinersdorf in Berlin, check out this iPhone video from Albert N Romero.

Güterbahnhof Berlin-Pankow – Abandoned Train Roundhouse

Twentieth Century Berlin on Film – The 1920s

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Berlin in 1929 (screenshot from People on Sunday)

The twentieth century was not kind to Berlin – war, economic depression, Nazism, division and re-unification all left their mark.

Twentieth Century Berlin on Film is a series of posts that, through YouTube videos, will show the changes the city has undergone.

We begin with the heady days of Berlin in the 1920s – in the Weimar era, the city had a reputation for decadence, hedonism and sexual freedom.  Despite, or perhaps as a result of, the effects of hyperinflation and political upheaval in the aftermath of the Great War, Berliners were determined to have a good time.

1920s – Berlin in der 20er Jahre (Berlin the 1920s)

A collection of clips showing everyday life in the German capital throughout the 1920s.

Tour Around Berlin in 1929

Taken from the Billy Wilder film People on Sunday (Menschen am Sonntag), which you can find in full on Mogli Oak.

Berlin – Die Sinfonie der Großstadt (1927) (Berlin – Symphony of a Great City)

If you have a little more time I would recommend watching Die Sinfonie der Großstadt, a full-length silent film by director Walther Ruttmann.  Filmed over the course of a year in Berlin, the footage has been assembled in five acts representing a typical day in the city.

Art in Berlin – A report by Monocle Magazine

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Art in Berlin (screenshot from Monocle report)

It’s Gallery Weekend in Berlin – a time when the city’s many galleries showcase art from a broad range of local and international talent – so when better to share this film from Monocle magazine on Art in Berlin.

Berlin is a hotbed of creative talent.

In the 1920s, artists were attracted by the city’s hedonistic nightlife and attitude of acceptance.  During the cold war more still took advantage of the opportunity to avoid conscription by moving to West Berlin.  And after the fall of the wall, cheap rents and the availability of empty buildings for squatting meant artists could survive more easily here.

In this report for Monocle, Kimberly Bradley looks at how the art scene in Berlin is developing and maturing and how the city has a growing reputation as a destination for international gallerists and collectors.

Monocle – Art in Berlin

via: Berlin Film Society // Monocle

Olympus OM-D Photography Playground at the Opernwerkstätten Berlin

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Jeongmoon Choi – Drawing in Space at the Olympus OM-D Photography Playground the Opernwerstätten in Berlin

An interactive exhibition is ideally suited to Berlin, a city overflowing with creative people, and that is what Olympus has created with the Olympus OM-D Photography Playground, which opened at the Opernwerkstätten last night.

The Opernwerkstätten, built between 1939 and 1941 with some involvement from Albert Speer, used to house the workshops of Berlin’s many opera companies.  It was here that the sets were built and costumes made.  Visiting during the installation of the new exhibition gave me the opportunity to appreciate the space.

The ceiling at the Opernwerstätten in Berlin

A hook at the Opernwerstätten in Berlin

Außer Betrieb - Fire Alarm at the Opernwerstätten in Berlin

Olympus turned over 7,000 m² of the building to a group of artists to create site-specific installations on the theme ‘Space and Art’.   Between them, Jeongmoon Choi, Martin Butler, Shan Blume, Starstyling, Numen / For Use, Julian Charrière, UnitedVisualArtists, Tim John and Sven Meyer & Kim Pörksen, Speech and Zimoun have created a stimulating playground for the senses.

Visitors are invited to explore the space and document their experiences with the Olympus OM-D camera which can be rented free of charge.  The memory card is removed from the camera when it is returned and can be taken home.

The Olympus OM-D system camera

Photo courtesy of Olympus

Warning: You will need ‘proper’ identification (for those without a National Identity Card, a passport) to borrow one of the cameras.

Unfortunately, my UK Drivers Licence wasn’t acceptable so I can’t tell you any more about the Olympus OM-D, except that it looks good.

It was clear that those people who did get their hands on the camera were enjoying the experience though – everywhere you went people were snapping away.

Visitors taking photos of the installation by Zimoun – Prepared dc-motors, cork balls, cardboard boxes at the Olympus OM-D Photography Playground the Opernwerstätten in Berlin

Visitors having fun with the installation by fashion designing duo Starstyling – Settings at the Olympus OM-D Photography Playground the Opernwerstätten in Berlin

A visitor taking photographs in the installation by SPEECH (Tchoban & Kuznetsov) – towninbox at the Olympus OM-D Photography Playground the Opernwerstätten in Berlin

And why wouldn’t they?  The installations have been cleverly conceived and constructed to play with light, sound and perception and make ideal subjects or backgrounds for photographs.

A visitor taking photographs in Shan Blume's OT_L_Space_01 at the Olympus OM-D Photography Playground the Opernwerstätten in Berlin

 

United Visual Artists – Vanishing point at the Olympus OM-D Photography Playground the Opernwerstätten in Berlin

Amongst my favourite installations was Drawing Space by Korean artist Jeongmoon Choi.  The simple but effective use of UV light and string created a myriad of geometric patterns that were visually striking and different from every angle.

Visitors interacting with the installation by Jeongmoon Choi - Drawing in Space at the Olympus OM-D Photography Playground the Opernwerstätten in Berlin

Another outstanding contribution was Tim John’s ‘Was war gestern’ (What was yesterday).  I spoke to the artist while he was creating the artwork and it was important for him to create an experience with his installation.  Echoing the building’s past he has created a stage and set, complete with audience in their boxes.  A number of ‘pointing fingers’ direct visitors to the interactive elements.  The crank of an old gramophone, for instance, must be turned to start the show.

Tim John – Was war gestern (What was yesterday) at the Olympus OM-D Photography Playground the Opernwerstätten in Berlin

A fun, interactive, sensory experience this is what all exhibitions should be.   The Olympus OM-D Photography Playground is open daily 11:00 to 19:00 at the Opernwerkstätten, Zinnowitzer Strasse 9, Berlin until 24 May 2013 – entry is free.

Berlin Songs: Sex Pistols – Holidays in the Sun

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Sex Pistols - Holidays in the Sun (official promotional poster)

My Berlin Songs series, which features songs that are either inspired by Berlin, about the city or by artists based here, continues with Sex Pistols – Holidays in the Sun.

Singer John Lydon says of the song on the Sex Pistols website:

“I loved Berlin. I loved the wall and the insanity of the place. The communists looked in on the circus atmosphere of West Berlin, which never went to sleep, and that would be their impression of the West.”

Thanks to Gilly for sending me a link to this great video of Thierry Noir in Berlin in 1985 (including footage of him painting the Berlin Wall along the Bethaniendamm in Kreuzberg with Christophe Bouchet) that features the song.

Thierry Noir is a French Street Artist whose work features at the East Side Gallery next to a section removed by developers in a move that inspired protests and brought David Hasselhoff back to Berlin.

Thierry Noir paintings at the East Side Gallery Berlin

Holidays in the Sun is the opening track on the Sex Pistols only studio album Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols.

Sex Pistols – Holidays in the Sun

Furry Shades™ – Novelty Sunglasses

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Lion Sunglasses - Furry Shades by Novelty Sunglasses

Photo: noveltysunglasses.com

A little something to (hopefully) make you smile.  I saw these Lion Furry Shades™ by Novelty Sunglasses in Urban Outfitters in Berlin yesterday and they made me chuckle.

I also thought the Tiger sunglasses were pretty funny.

Tiger Sunglasses - Furry Shades by Novelty Sunglasses

Photo: noveltysunglasses.com

And for the Playboy Bunny look how about the Rabbit version.

Rabbit Sunglasses - Furry Shades by Novelty Sunglasses

Photo: noveltysunglasses.com

Someone could probably make a killing with these Giraffe sunglasses at the Tierpark in Berlin where baby Giraffe, Eric is the latest star attraction.

Eric the baby Giraffe at Berlin Tierpark

Photo: Markus Schreiber/AP Photo

And finally, what could be more Berlin Hipster than a pair of sunglasses with attached moustache (found on Amazon.com)?

Mustache Sunglasses at Amazon

Photo: amazon.com

Big Stuff Smoked BBQ at Markthalle IX Berlin

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The logo of Big Stuff Smoked BBQ in Markthalle IX Berlin

Big Stuff Smoked BBQ in the Markthalle IX in Kreuzberg should be a Mecca for Berlin meat lovers.  The sandwiches are mouth-wateringly spectacular – so tasty in fact, that looking at the pictures while I type this is almost too much to bear.

The star of the show at Big Stuff Smoked BBQ is undoubtedly the meat, which has been slow cooked to the point where it is melt-in-the-mouth tender, juicy and succulent but the sauces and accompaniments play a commendable supporting role.  The buns are organic, handmade in Berlin and based on a traditional Scottish recipe.

Pulled Pork Sandwich at Big Stuff Smoked BBQ in Markthalle IX Berlin

On my first visit I went for the Pulled Pork sandwich for €5.50, which came with BBQ sauce, slices of apple and salad leaves.

I would always recommend taking the staff’s advice on what to have in your sandwich.

Beef Brisket Sandwich at Big Stuff Smoked BBQ in Markthalle IX Berlin

Last time, I went for the Beef Brisket sandwich, which costs €6 and came with a spicy BBQ sauce, Sauerkraut and pickles.

Feeling particularly hungry I opted to go back for seconds and this time chose the Pork Belly sandwich, the most expensive of the three at €7, accompanied by pickles and BBQ sauce.

Pork Belly Sandwich at Big Stuff Smoked BBQ in Markthalle IX Berlin

It turned out my eyes were bigger than my belly – don’t be fooled by the size of the buns, as you can see they are overflowing with meat – despite my big appetite I had to call on Steffi to help me out.

There is also a Meat Platter on the menu but I haven’t tried that yet.  There’s always next time.

If you are eating at Big Stuff Smoked BBQ I would recommend washing down your sandwich with a beer from Heiden Peters.  I’ve been very impressed with the Pale Ale and the Weizen that I have had there in the last couple of weeks.

There is a warning on the Big Stuff Smoked BBQ Facebook page:

Please note: our food takes endless hours to cook, so when it’s over it’s over.  Come hungry and come early.

Big Stuff Smoked BBQ is only open from Thursday to Saturday and always seems busy – I guess those in the know are determined to get their fix.  I have been the last two weeks during the new weekly Berlin event, Street Food Thursday at Markthalle IX – and the queue has snaked around the corner of the booth – always a sign of good quality.

Photos From My Phone – March

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March in Berlin started with signs that spring might be on the way (though it turns out that winter wasn’t ready to hand over the baton) and I enjoyed a beer in the sun by the Spree.

San Miguel by the Spree - Berlin

White Trash Fast Food provided a couple of entertaining evenings.  First, Blog ‘n’ Burger a gathering of Berlin burger lovers expertly organised by Chris Lietze.

Chilli Cheeburger at White Trash Fast Food in Berlin

Then, later in the month Rock ‘n’ Roll Bingo.  I was even on stage for a tie-break for the final prize of €40 but couldn’t indentify Eminem quickly enough to bag the swag.

Rock n Roll Bingo Card at White Trash Fast Food in Berlin

I probably had the most surreal experience of my life this month when David Hasselhoff tweeted a link to my Ohrwurm: Looking For Freedom post, urging followers to sign the Save The East Side Gallery petition.  The Hoff even came to Berlin to show his support.  This KITT like car was at the East Side Gallery on the day.

KITT at East Side Gallery Berlin

If this is all news to you have a look at this great video from Luci of In a Berlin Minute, including the Hoff singing Looking For Freedom.

I saw lots of great Street Art, including these pieces by .FRA and Mein Lieber Prost – I just have to find time to post about it all.

Blue Slimer - Street Art by .FRA in Berlin

Bin Stolz Auf Dich - Street Art by Mein Lieber Prost in Berlin

I managed to snap a quick photo of this girl in Bowie face paint at the Tram stop at Eberswalder Strasse.  For more about Bowie’s association with Berlin have a look at Famous Berliners: David Bowie.

A girl with Bowie face paint at a tram stop in Berlin

My March round-up ends as it started with booze.  This time The Wild East cocktail from Stagger Lee (a great Berlin cocktail bar) – sehr lecker!

The Wild East cocktail at Stagger Lee in Berlin

You can follow my Berlin adventures on Instagram.