Großsiedlung / housing estate

Germany, Berlin, December 31, 2016

Today I went to a Großsiedlung in de western outskirts of Berlin. Most apartment blocks are sky high and are part of Berlin's social housing program. The majority of the buildings are rather new and looking fresh. Some of the older blocks start to look worn out.
Something strange happened today - no, not to me. At one of the stations the train stopped longer than usual. After some time they engine driver announced that there was a delay, because an old man was walking on the track with his rollator. After some ten minutes our journey was continued.

Teufelsberg

Germany, Berlin, December 30, 2016

Today I planned to go to a großsiedlung - a large housing estate, with a lot of high appartement buildings. Since I missed my connecting bus, I decided not to wait for the next one and went to the Teufelsberg - a half an hour walk from the point was I was standing. The weather was beautiful - just a little bit below zero, no wind and sunny.
The Teufelsberg is an artificial mountain , made out of the rubble due to the extensive bombing of Berlin during the Second World War.  A strange thought that you are walking on what were once houses.
During the Cold War there  was a U.S. listening station on the top of the mountain. It is in ruins now, but the remains offer you a most weird and absurd spectacle.

Housing the American forces

Germany, Berlin, December 29, 2016

Today I went to the Dreipfuhlsiedlung, also called the Amerikanischer Siedlung - the American estate. The estate was specially built to house American forces stationed in Berlin after the war. At the edge of the estate one finds the headquarters, now used as a museum and appartments.
The houses in the Siedlung were bungalos - for the officers -  and duplex houses - for the noncommissioned officers.
In the surroundings of the Siedlung one finds huge villas and brand new appartment buildings and officies.

A siedlung for the well to do and one for Brits

Germany, Berlin, December 28, 2016

Today I went to the Siedlung Heerstrasse and to the Britische Siedlung. The first one was mostly for the well to do - the quarter houses big villas. From there I went to the second one, built for the British occupying forces. Most houses are rather plain, but there is a very interesting section, the so-called Terassenhaüser - terras houses, built between 1969 and 1972. It consists of eleven cubic blocks, four and five storeys high, which weren't stacked but built in a terras like form. The cubic blocks form a wonderful pattern, but difficult to photograph because of the trees and the fences.

Künstlerkolonie

Germany, Berlin, December 27, 2016

Today I once again went to a Siedlung - residential estate. It is called the Künstlerkolonie -artists colony. It was specially built between 1927 and 1930 for theater artists, writers and journalists. In 1933 some 300 writers and artists lived in the colony. During the Nazi years many of them were persecuted. No wonder that most left Berlin and Germany. After the war a few returned to their home.

A walk in the city center

Germany, Berlin, December 26, 2016

Today I went to the Potsdammer Plats and surroundings. I had by the way planned to go to some residential estates not far from Spandau, but missed the train. The train in the direction of to the Potdammer Plats was waiting for me. So why wait ten minutes if you can hop in.
The weather was rather wobbly, but in the end the light turned out to be all right

Villa views and a school

Germany, Berlin-Wannsee, December 25, 2016 

Today was a rainy day. The light wasn't great. So I didn't travel far and walked around in one of the villa quarters of Wannsee.