In 2016, I posted an article with photos of the abandoned Beelitz sanatorium complex in Germany. The article was accompanied with photos that I took during my visit in 2014. Four years later, in 2018, I went back to Beelitz to photograph its current state. Here’s what Beelitz Heilstätten looks like today.
Although Beelitz Heilstätten is outside of Berlin, some of the exteriors of its buildings resemble English country-style homes.
History
The best architects designed this complex with luxury balconies, hallways and platforms. At first there was enough space to house 600 patients (mostly poor and elderly people with lung tuberculosis). Soon it turned out that there was not enough space and the capacity was doubled. Patients were separated into different buildings by gender. Staff buildings were also taken into account. For example, the laundry and kitchen were at the female part of the complex, and the boiler house was at the male part.
Corridor leading to the old patient rooms.
Within 25 years more than 115.000 patients were treated here. In the 1st and 2nd World War the complex has been used as military hospital for the German army. Even Adolf Hitler was treated here with an injured leg in 1916. Unfortunately, some parts of the complex have been completely destroyed during the war.
Immediately after the 2nd World War the Russians took over the complex and also used it as a military hospital. It was even known as the largest military hospital outside of Russia itself. Striking is that the Russians didn’t change anything of the exterior of the complex. They did make some adjustments to the interior here and there though, which nowadays are still noticeable.
In 1994 the last patients left the clinic.
These photos are also published on businessinsider.com.
Photos
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- The dark corridors with peeling paint on the walls make wandering around the abandoned complex a creepy experience.
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- One of the buildings within the complex was this colorful gymnasium. Here it is in 2014.
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- Four years later, some renovations had been done on the room.
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- The flower-shaped window design also appeared in the former gym.
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- Piano standing on a floor covered in wool.
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- Remains of what must have been a beautiful painting are still seen on the walls of this enormous room.
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- Years of decay have given Beelitz Heilstätten a sort of haunting beauty.
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- This grandiose room with a bath in the center is a popular location for artists. Scenes from the films “Valkyrie” and “The Pianist” were filmed here, as was a music video by the German band Rammstein.
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- In this entryway, you can see the paint fading on the ornately designed walls.
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- I found another piano in this small theater. It stood in front of the stage with a beautiful flower-shaped window in the back.
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- Most of the buildings’ windows and doors have been locked or secured to prevent unwanted visitors. However, that clearly wasn’t the case in this small room.
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- The light coming in through the windows fell beautifully on the piano covered in white paint.
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- The stunning elegance of staircases like this one stood in contrast to their current state of disrepair.
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- Over the years, some of the buildings within the complex have been renovated or repainted. Here’s how one of the staircases looked in 2014 …
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- … and here it is again, four years later.
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- I discovered some fascinating decorations on the walls of some buildings.
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- Although Beelitz Heilstätten is outside of Berlin, some of the exteriors of its buildings resemble English country-style homes.
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- While most of the complex was completely emptied out when it was abandoned, this stunning piano was left behind.
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- Before 2015, much of the complex was left unguarded, making it a popular destination for urban explorers and thrill seekers, according to Atlas Obscura.
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- Considering the decay of some of the rooms, it’s hard to visualize the thousands of patients who used to walk through these buildings regularly.
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Dani
Roman Robroek