This object is covered with many legends and stories. We are talking about the Belitz-Heilstetten hospital in the suburb of the same name, forty kilometers from Berlin. At present, this institution, so to speak, is in decline. The abandoned hospital is a very gloomy sight. But relatively recently, life was literally seething here. This ghost town is a magnet for thrill-seekers from all over the world.
The emergence of the hospital
Historians have not been able to establish the exact date of construction and commissioning of the Belitz-Heilstetten hospital. According to some reports, the construction of the main facilities was completed in 1898. However, it is known that construction work on some sections of the huge complex was carried out until 1930.
This institution became famous throughout the world precisely as an abandoned military hospital Belits-Heilstetten in Germany. But few people know that initially this facility was conceived as a sanatorium-type institution for the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis.
During the initial stage of its existence, the hospital was divided into two parts: one for men and one for women. In those days, this was a common practice not only for hospital-type institutions, but also for educational institutions.
First stage of construction
The main building was originally built. It was designed to accommodate six hundred patients in the hospital.
By the way, in those days the main treatment for tuberculosis was the so-called air baths. In order for the patients of the Beelitz-Heilstetten hospital to receive these procedures (breathe fresh air) without leaving the hospital walls, a large balcony was added to the south side of the building. Yes, the level of medicine left much to be desired, and this disease claimed the lives of a huge number of people.
Second construction phase
In the period from 1905 to 1908, the infrastructure of the Belitz-Heilstetten hospital developed rapidly. In fact, the hospital complex turned into a full-fledged city that could exist offline for a long time. Many catering establishments, bars, shoe and clothing repair and tailoring shops, food stalls and so on have opened their doors to visitors.
The number of beds for patients has been doubled through the constructionnew buildings. Own centralized heating and water supply system was built. The Belitz-Heilstetten hospital in Germany was one of the few hospitals in Europe capable of boasting such benefits of civilization.
Hospital during World War I
With the beginning of the war, the entire national economy of Germany was put on a war footing. All industrial enterprises were re-equipped for the production of military products and ammunition. The war affected not only the real sector of the economy, but also all spheres of life. Belitz-Heilstetten Hospital also did not stand aside. A continuous stream of seriously wounded soldiers and officers poured in from the front line. The medical-type sanatorium was quickly converted into a military hospital and began to receive fighters from the front.
In 1916, private infantry Adolf Hitler was treated within the walls of the hospital. He received a shrapnel wound in the leg while participating in the famous Battle of the Somme. At that time, he was an unremarkable soldier, one of millions of his kind. And only a few decades later, this name will become a household name and forever go down in world history as a symbol of evil, cruelty and ugliness.
History of Belitz-Heilstetten during the interwar period
With the end of the war and the advent of civilian life, the hospital continued to develop. The final stage of construction work took place in 1926-1930. A building for lung surgery was erected, which was equipped with the latest medical science and technology. The best doctors from all over Germany were involved in the hospital. Canto say that these years saw the heyday of the institution.
World War II and post-war years
Peaceful sky pleased the inhabitants of Europe for a relatively short time. In 1939, a new, even more bloody massacre was unleashed. The hospital again opened its doors to the wounded soldiers. With the onset of the Red Army, the hospital was badly damaged. Many buildings were razed to the ground, including the hospital church.
After the surrender of Germany, the territory of the hospital was occupied by the Red Army. The Soviet authorities organized a military base on the territory of the hospital, as well as a medical institution for Soviet officers. This institution still had the status of one of the best hospitals. Therefore, all the political elite of the German Democratic Republic was treated there. It was the largest military hospital outside the Soviet Union in the entire history of the USSR.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, a group of Soviet troops in Germany continued to be based on these lands for some time, finally leaving them only in 1995. Thus, a full five years passed after the unification of Germany before the troops of the former USSR (Russian Federation) were withdrawn from its territory. Our military must have been under a lot of pressure from the public.
Since then, Belitz-Heilstetten has begun to fall into disrepair. At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries (in 2000), most of the hospital buildings were officially decommissioned and closed. However, some of themcontinue to function to this day. We are talking about the Parkinson's disease research building and the neurological one.
While the German authorities are thinking about what to do with the abandoned hospital, the buildings are dilapidated and destroyed. The incredible mystical atmosphere of these places attracts directors, photographers, diggers and industrial tourism enthusiasts from all over Europe. This object eventually became a cult. So, for example, on the territory of the Rammstein complex, they shot their famous clip Mein Hartz Brennt. Scenes for the films Operation Valkaria and The Pianist were also filmed here.
Some Facts
A well-known patient who was treated within the walls of the now abandoned hospital was E. Honecker. This politician led the GDR until 1989. After the curtain fell, he was charged with shooting innocent people while trying to cross the border of the GDR with the federal republic. Erich Honecker was forced to flee to the USSR, but soon the Soviet Union broke up into 15 independent states, and he was expelled back to Germany, where he ended up in the hands of justice. By the way, the case was not brought to its logical conclusion: in 1993, this man was released from custody due to a sharp deterioration in he alth. Honecker, like Nazi criminals, fled to South America (Chile). However, his life was not long and cloudless: he died in 1994.
A long pedestrian bridge has been erected over the territory of the entire complex of German authorities, which allows you to safely view the ancientbuildings of bizarre architecture. It is strictly forbidden to visit Belitz-Heilstetten on your own, as it may be unsafe for life and he alth due to dilapidation and accident rate of buildings.
