Waldsiedlung Wandlitz: Secrets of the GDR elite ventilated!

Waldsiedlung Wandlitz: Secrets of the GDR elite ventilated!

Wandlitz, Deutschland - The Wandlitz Waldsiedlung, often also referred to as "Bonzenhausen" or "Sed Ghetto", is a fascinating chapter in the history of the GDR. This settlement, located in a remote forest area near Bernau, was a retreat of the management elite of the socialist regime for decades. Film recordings from 1990-1992 show impressively how this hidden world existed away from the masses. [Coolis] reports that the settlement was built between 1958 and 1960 and served as a residence for high -ranking officials such as Erich Honecker, Walter Ulbricht and Erich Mielke for almost three decades.

The forest settlement was certainly subjected to strict safety precautions. She divided a wall around two meters high into an inner and outer ring, guarded by a guard regiment and the main department of Personal Protection of the Ministry of State Security (MfS). The outer ring was secured by a chain link fence, while the inside offered a controlled environment that guaranteed the residents an undisturbed privacy. In this small, exclusive world, the political office members enjoyed access to amenities that were denied to the broad GDR population.

a lived contrast

What exactly did this settlement offer, which are now considered a monument to past structures of rule? Inside there was a clubhouse with a swimming pool and even a cinema that was only accessible to a selected circle. A small “special supply shop”, in which coveted West products were available, also made life there attractive. [Deutschlandfunk Kultur] indicates that the prosperity created by the settlement was in a blatant contrast to the reality of the GDR.

In 1989, the settlement had to be cleared on the decision of the GDR government. From then on, the former “Paradise” for the political elite turned into an area that belongs to the Brandenburg Clinic Bernau today. This clinic, founded in 1990, includes specialist departments for neurology, psychosomatics, orthopedics and cardiology with a total of 700 beds. Since then, the area has changed significantly and is now subject to strict monument protection, which was obtained for the former settlement in June 2017.

The legacy of politics

The forest settlement, which is now listed today, has more to offer than just old walls and weathered structures. It is a place of thinking about power, social inequality and historical responsibility. Paul Bergner, a hobby historian and former gardener in the settlement, documents this story and expresses concerns about the loss of many historical elements. [Wikipedia] describes the settlement not only as a place to live, but also as a place that had an impact on the surrounding village of Wandlitz, which benefited from the privileges of the political office members.

The forest settlement itself comprises about 1.5 square kilometers and was not even recorded on maps, which contributed to the secret aura of the village. Anyone who lived here as a political office member not only received living space, but also their own world, which was isolated by a close -meshed safety net from the outside world. Historical elements and works of art by well-known GDR artists disappeared over the years and have now been housed in the depots of the city of Bernau. The settlement today serves as a memorial that is reminiscent of the forgotten realities of life of those who once lived in their protected bladder.