Bärenquell (pronounced Bear-en-quell) Brewery Originally opened in 1888, and was located in the South East of Berlin, near a district called Schoeneweide. It made a local series of beers all the way through the era of the “Communist East”. The plant complex closed in 1994. This seems to consist of several buildings including Main Brewing Facility – above, Control Room, Warehouses, Inspection, Shipping / Receiving Offices, and Administration. You can see most of the photos below, in the slideshow (click on the “arrows” in the bottom right corner to fit it to your screen).
Now, it sits empty and locked up, behind a series of gates and graffiti covered walls. However, because of it’s close proximity to Neukolln, Berlin, there are many squatters and shady characters that to come and this area, thus making it relatively easy to find a way inside (before you’re asking – there aren’t any “no tresspassing signs” – these are few and far between here). Upon Exploration, the photo group found lots of graffiti, old furniture, old drug use type items, trashed out cars and remnants of thefts of various things. Not bad subjects for a day of photography, if you ask me….
Please check out more of the photo set here – and don’t forget to comment!
God, I’m jealous of these! And I *was* starting to wonder how you get into all these crazy, broken down places without twisting an ankle or something! 😉
So no-one cares if folks go wandering around in these places? wow. That’s a pretty attractive idea – skirting danger, shooting sights that may never otherwise be seen!
Ok well, If you walk around the sites, you’ll find that the gates are open or have been cut… but there ARE risks. Let’s be honest, the floors are unstable, the plaster is falling off the ceiling, there’s lead paint, asbestos, sometimes chemicals (the hospital building had obviously been arson – you could still smell the petrol) and and that’s just what we’ve found. Other things we have discovered – the stairs going up don’t have railings and often aren’t good, there’s broken glass everywhere, and as you walk through you can hear water dripping and the building shifting. There are squatters (and drug addicts) and in some places there are security checking some buildings – but don’t care if you’re there in others – especially in the larger locations.
The reality is that you go with a couple people, you make sure that those you go with know WHERE you are on the property. If you break from the group, you have a certain set amount of time before those with you start looking for you. You try to touch as little as possible (doors get bumped open with a foot or a shoulder), have something to cover your face (what are you breathing in?), carry a flashlight, a cell phone, and most importantly PAY ATTENTION. If the graffiti artists, squatters, and etc have been there before you (and/or recently) you can tell (usually tracks/evidence like beer bottles, etc). You don’t go where something looks shady.
Yes, it is easy to twist an ankle, step in a hole, through a floor, or have a staircase fall from under you. You don’t know when things will collapse (It’s not If – it WILL happen). I’ve already had a few small pieces of plaster fall on me from above – and have tripped over a few things on the floor. I also can say that there have been staircases I’ve decided to NOT go up and/or rooms/smaller buildings that you look in and recognize that a floor is gonna go through at any time, or the ceiling plaster has come down and is still falling. The truth is it’s always interesting, and very beautiful, but also dangerous.
Worth it? I’d like to think so – especially if I’m not doing the obviously stupid — going alone.