Mauerpark
Mauerpark is a public park in Berlin Prenzlauer Berg district. The name translates to "Wall Park," referring to its status as a former part of the Berlin Wall and death strip. The park is located on the border between Prenzlauer Berg and Wedding.
Old Nordbahnhof
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Mauerpark area served as the location of the old Nordbahnhof (North Train Station). [1] The station served as the south end-point of the Preußische Nordbahn (Prussian North Track), which connected Berlin and the city of Stralsund. In 1950, the nearby Stettiner Station took the name Nordbahnhof because of its role in Berlin's public transportation system, and the old Nordbahnhof became known as Güterbahnhof Eberswalder Straße.
When viewed from above, one can still see the area where railroad tracks ran into the station.
Berlin Divided
In 1945, through the division of Berlin into four Allied Occupation Zones in Germany, the land of the old Nordbahnhof was split between the French and Soviet sectors. After the building of the Berlin Wall, the land was used as the heavily guarded "death strip" with walls on either side.
One of the more famous viewing platforms, from which West Berlin residents could look over the wall into East Berlin, stood at this location.
An interesting aspect and problem for the East German guards was the fact that the eastern part of the strip was at a higher elevation than the lower land where the old train station used to be. In 1988, the Soviet sector made a deal with the West to acquire a strip of land at the bottom of the hill to set up a more efficient border.
Mauerpark
With the fall of the Berlin Wall came the problem of what to do with the land. The area was designated as one of several green spaces in the city. After a contribution from Allianz's environmental division of DM 4.5 million, the park was built on the eastern half of the death strip. The western half, which belonged to Vivico, was not made into green space, but since 2004 has served as the location for a flea market next to the park.
Today the park is one of the most popular places for young residents of Berlin, especially Wedding and Prenzlauer Berg, and attracts basketball players, jugglers, musicians, and many other types of people. There are two stadiums next to the park, including Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sportpark and Max Schmelling Halle, home to Berlin's American football and basketball teams, respectively.[2]
A 30m strip of the Berlin Wall still stands in the park today as a monument, and is a popular place for graffiti artists to paint and display their work.