Great Graffiti

Generally speaking, I dislike the people who go around and vandalize everything here in Germany. It seems to be an epidemic – and unlike some places in the world – who promptly cover it up with paint (or repair work) and punish the people placing their mark out there — Germany seems to be more leniant (either not bothering to prosecute or if they do, it’s a fine and that’s it). Thus, there seems to be a large amount of interesting and somehow “art”-like graffiti that flows out of the creative minds of the local vandals – everywhere. And so, those that are doing this type of stuff are now (in my book at least) divided into two categories – the Taggers / Vandals – who just set out to put their horrible ugly mark on everything…. and the Graffiti artists.

Humor me if you will – the following is tagging/vandalism that I hate (this green WR of someone’s initials or handle or whatever) because it is just nothing – it’s ugly, it’s just there and has no visual quality that you can see other than just to annoy and cause me to want to go back and repaint / repair the windows, doors, tables, chairs, or whatever else that it has been put on:

However – the following is a short sample of some amazing graffiti art – that I’ve found all over Berlin (with labels), mostly in/around abandoned places – by unknown “artists” that seem to come back and/or have hours to spend spray painting – with out the worry of being BUSTED (where do they find the time to do this?):

“running spray can” at Weissensee Childrens Hospital

The Sweeper & His Broom (notice how the broom is actually incorporated) at Weissensee Childrens Hospital

5 figures at Barenquell Abandoned Brewery

Anyhow, the thing is that over time, you realize that some of the work you’re seeing is “marked” somehow and/or all by the same graffiti artist. The style is the same, and the interesting thing is that believe it or not – some of them have actually gained a following. For example, one guy XooooX here in Germany is rather well known (photos below), and another “Banksy” in the UK has been here as well. To top it off once relatively known by their handle, you can find books where these more “famous” graffiti artworks are even MAPPED OUT for people to go and see. (Personally, I like just stumbling across it…)

“XooooX Paris”

Barstool Girl by XooooX

Striped Sweater / Shorts Girl by XooooX

Because of a sort of sick sense of pleasure and enjoyment in the discovery – over 4 years, I’ve become kind of aware of the pattern of some of the more consistent “artists” – and when I see it, I make sure to take a picture and add it to the set. Why? Well, because it could be covered up sometime – any time. And if you talk to the people putting it up there – that’s half the fun… creating a work of “art” that people see before it’s gone.

You can see my full graffiti art set (ever growing, in fact) by viewing the slideshow below:

Abandoned Säuglings- und Kinderkrankenhaus Weißensee

For some reason, it seems that Germany just has a surplus of abandoned buildings. Perhaps it’s because of the two world wars and the subsequent soviet occupation. Perhaps it’s because the people here respect quality building and simply hope that someday someone will restore these old buildings to their former grandeur. Perhaps it’s because they simply don’t have the time, money, or the “gotta-wanna” to tear them down once they’ve become unsafe.

On yet another of our photo group outings (March 13,2010 – yes, I know I’m way behind!) , several of us decided to go up into the North East corner of Berlin (former Soviet territory, which is now sort of an up-and-coming trendy area) near the Weissensee (White lake) to check out an old infant and children’s hospital there – literally named in German – Säuglings – und Kinderkrankenhaus Weißensee (infant and children’s hospital on the White Lake). Getting inside was surprisingly easy – you just needed to walk between an old electrical box on the street at the break in the gate. The main problem is that there’s a tram stop directly across the street – and the opening is on a busy street, so you have to time entry just right so as not to be seen. (Though, I doubt anyone really cares – since there were about 5 other people there and a number of squatters too.) The entire flickr set is here.

The original building complex (oldest building at the top above) was drawn up by architect Carl James Bühring in 1909. The main building itself was completed in 1911. The plan was that this hospital would help to handle the increasing birth rate in the city. Starting in 1912, other buildings were added and as it grew, this hospital became the first communal childen’s hospital in Prussia. Most notably, there was an on site stable (photo above with the 1/2 timbered architecture) which had cows between about 1912 and 1920, which produced high quality milk for babies in need of breast milk substitute, and also for provided “milk therapy” for older children weakened by sickness. The newest building (below) seems to be the nursing ward/ infirmary added in 1987 with two floors and semi-modern laminate floor tiles.

The hospital was closed on 1 January 1997 and sold in 2006 to an investor group. According to stated plans, they want to establish a cancer center on the property, using what they can of the old buildings. To date, no progress has been made, and it’s unclear if they will be able to use any of the property in their plans. The estimated date for the new center to start construction is in 2011. (A few more complex buildings below – Side building, Surgery building toward the main old hospital, an administration building.)

Surgery Building looking toward oldest bldg

In the meantime, this provided a good opportunity to explore a few of the several buildings and get some nice photographs of the sorry state of these buildings in their decay and deterioration. To say the least, because of it’s easy accessibility, this is an area that has been inundated with graffiti artists, taggers, vandals, and squatters. (On one floor of the infirmary/nursing ward we found an ENTIRE room of people and dog shit – talk about nastiness and stench – which had been repeatedly used for such excretions – and which we quickly ran past.) Anyhow, I hope you enjoy what I think were some of the best photographs of the day.

Main (oldest) building from 1911:

Curved Staircase and large windows

A narrow balcony

Green Wall & Tile through a broken window.

Operating Room

Red Ceiling, Red Half Doors, Red Tile Floors (very creepy)

The Lonely Chair

In the Other Buildings (as labelled):

Peeling Wallpaper in the Administration building.

There’s a Toilet under there – collapsed roof in the Stables building

In what would be the Wash house/boiler house – the bricks had been removed from several areas – and piled into a single room – shoulder high.

To the Nurses Stations (Infirmary ward)

Empty Infirmary Ward

Blue Surgery door (surgery building)

Office Chair in Exam Room (Infirmary Building)

Tomorrow, a post about graffiti. All about Graffiti….

The Ass-ault of Gransee

The same day that I had off (March 26) and went to photograph the Swans in Neurippen and the Palace at Rheinsberg, the last place that Michael and I stopped on our historical site tour was a town called Gransee. Now, generally speaking, I’m all about these great old (from the middle ages) towns that still have their old city walls and a bit of the old buildings and watch towers. I’ve been to a few, and they’re cool – each in their own way. By far, the nicest thing I can say about this town is that they have really preserved their city walls – with 1750 meters of them (originally some 2000 meters) still intact. Part of the wall includes the main gate,

the powder tower (built around 1500):

and the Franziskan Cloister church ruins (built in the 1300’s):

Why is it so preserved? Because the entire city wall area that remains (outside part) is surrounded by about a 1 acre wide park with bicycle paths and play areas for the kids – which means that it’s become usable recreational space – instead of a hindrance to people and traffic (which is what encourages them to be dismantled):

The thing is, though, that after parking the car and getting out to head to the local museum (housed in the oldest church in town):

We were ass-aulted. Literally. There was this horrible noxious scent of ammonia base that just became stronger each and every time the wind blew. It almost made you sick to your stomach, and you didn’t want to dare open your mouth to speak – lest the taste of ammonia based SHIT invade. Promptly covering my face with my t-shirt, I said “UGH! Chicken Farms!!”. It’s true. There are apparently chicken farms nearby – but where at, I don’t know – other than within smelling distance.

Upon snapping the few pictures above, Michael and I dashed into the historical museum (which smelled delightfully old and musty), checked out a couple of things inside there (they were closing for the day) and headed back out into the pungent town again. To say the least, the scent hadn’t abated (I think it actually had grown), and we were thankful this is a VERY.SMALL.TOWN. We hit a few more local highlights, walking quickly, holding our breath and alternately breathing through our shirt/hand/scarf. We paused to take a picture of the town square with its monument to the Prussian Princess Louise (she died nearby and the body was carried through town in 1810):

a couple of the local signs that I found interesting (very retro – maybe from the 1950’s?) -:

The first being a butcher’s and the second being a “household appliances” store -and then got the outside of the local church (St. Marienkirche):

I then couldn’t take it anymore, and I begged to go inside (for fresh, cool, ancient incense smelling air) to make a couple photographs of the stained glass entry:

and the center aisles.

Inside Center to altar St. Marienkirche Gransee

When the church closed to visitors (5 minutes wasn’t enough other than for me to just get the stink out of my nose before having to fill it up again), we nearly ran back to the car. (And believe me, we weren’t the only ones – even the towns people seemed to be racing about ducking inside for some non odor-filled air.) All I can say is that the town was neat, and I liked the idea of how they used their ancient city walls – but OH MY GOD, What the HELL is that SMELL? Even weeks later, as I write this, it is the one thing I remember most about Gransee … shame, that! (Notices that as she types the blog, she has been repeatedly rubbing her nose at the thought of the town… ah.. strange associations!)

Phoenix Rose's Blog

The Chronicles of a Girl, Her Dog, and a Lifelong Journey…

Germany

Great Graffiti

Abandoned Säuglings- und Kinderkrankenhaus Weißensee

The Ass-ault of Gransee