Schlesisches Tor

At Schlesischer Busch the GDR’s border fortifications ran parallel to the Flutgraben (flood channel). The walls, floodlights, and border patrol road have been removed and built over. One watchtower was preserved and now stands as a reminder of the city’s division.

The command post was occupied by three border guards and an officer. This type of watchtower consisted of a partially concealed base that contained technical equipment, a holding cell on the ground floor, above which was a staff room, and, on top of that, an observation room with a view in all directions. The searchlights mounted on the roof, which was accessible from the tower, could be operated from here.

After the GDR’s peaceful revolution led to the opening of Berlin’s checkpoints on 9 November 1989, an additional crossing point was set up at Schlesischer Busch. The watchtower was classified as a historical monument in 1992 and underwent restoration work in 2004. The “Kunstfabrik am Flutgraben” shows changing exhibitions here.

The former factory that now houses the “Kunstfabrik am Flutgraben” is the only building along the outer wall to have survived the wall’s construction and fall. Visitors can take a tour of the building Fridays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. From here, a walk down Puschkinallee will bring you to the Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park. This memorial to the Soviet soldiers who died in the battle of Berlin during World War II was built from 1946 to 1948.

Links:

• Kunstfabrik
• Discovering the Berlin Wall