Hidden history: Former barracks in Prenzlau come back to life!

Hidden history: Former barracks in Prenzlau come back to life!

Something is happening in Prenzlau: An impressive barracks area on Berliner Straße (B109) has a new owner. Again Northern Courier reports, the Uckermärkische Entwicklunggesellschaft (UEG) has acquired around 37,000 square meters on which there are four barracks buildings. This area was previously overgrown and is reminiscent of the time when Soviet forces were stationed there. Since the withdrawal of the CIS troops, the buildings have led a sad existence.

Mika Förster, managing director of UEG, has big plans for the area. He announced that he would begin clearing and securing work to clear the front barracks building of uncontrolled growth. “The building structure is solid,” says Förster optimistically. The barracks themselves were built in 1936/37 and have had many faces throughout their history: from an observation department of the German Wehrmacht to a prisoner of war camp during the Second World War.

An eventful story

The use of the site reflects the history of Germany. From 1945 to 1991, Soviet soldiers lived and worked here. The picture changed again in the 1990s when a home for asylum seekers was set up in one of the renovated barracks. The need for space increased due to asylum policy and global refugee movements, which led to the installation of living containers. However, the plans for temporary refugee accommodation were met with widespread dissatisfaction among both the population and city politicians, which ultimately led to the abandonment of these plans.

The UEG plans to improve the urban development of the barracks area and expand it in conjunction with the existing asylum home. However, concrete plans for this are still pending. The preservation of the buildings is of central importance at this stage and the UEG managing director is determined to stop the decay and secure the historic structures.

A look behind the scenes

The history of the Soviet armed forces in Germany, which is documented in the Berlin-Karlshorst Museum, is also fascinating. The various eras, ranging from the Soviet occupation troops to the western group of troops, are examined here. The documentation includes, among other things, the military's properties as well as their deployments and areas of operation. For example, the museum's database refers to a total of 1,115 properties in the West Group, which are documented from 1989 to 1994. This is an important source of information on the history of the Soviet and Russian troops, as is the website Museum server shows.

The UEG and the city now face the challenge of putting these historic sites to new use while at the same time taking the past into account. It remains to be seen which ideas can be implemented as part of the urban development upgrade of the barracks area. One thing is certain: there is a lot of movement to be observed in Prenzlau.