Location: Brandenburg Map
Constructed: 1898
Architect: Heino Schmieden
Beelitz Heilstätten Military Hospital is located in Brandenburg in
Germany. It is an abandoned military hospital that over course of
its history served German and later Soviet army. Its most famous
patient was none other, but Adolf Hitler, who was sent here after
receiving wounds during a battle in a World War I. Locals and
visitors alike claim of strange sightings of paranormal activity
that is said to occur on the grounds of Beelitz Military Hospital.
Beelitz Military Hospital was constructed in 1898 under
supervision of an architect Heino Schmieden. It was part of a
massive construction project intended to treat ordinary Berlin
workers. Beelitz was certainly the largest in the region. Medical
complex covered an area of over 200 ha and included about 60
buildings. This included living quarters for patients, building for
serious surgical operations, psychiatric hospital and even a
shooting range. North buildings of Beelitz complex was designated
for patients with Tuberculosis, a deadly communicable disease that
cut millions across the World. In the World before the antibiotics
it was virtually a death sentence. South buildings of Beelitz were
intended for patients with non- communicable diseases. Additionally
the complex was divided between East buildings that were reserved
for women and West buildings reserved for men. Staff that worked in
these locations were also largely of the same sex as the patients.
Beelitz Medical Complex is surrounded by a beautiful pine forest
that was planted intentionally as some coniferous plants can produce
natural antibiotics and hence serve as protective to patients.
The first phase of the construction lasted from 1898 to 1902 under
the supervision of architect Heino Schmieden and Julius Boethka
(1864- 1907). Second phase lasted from 1908 till 1910. The number of
beds were increased from 600 bed to over 1200.
While
initially Beelitz Military Hospital was designed as a sanatorium for
the Berlin's workers. However at the outbreak of World War I Germany
was overrun by large number of wounded soldiers. Beelitz Hospital
was transformed into military hospital for the Imperial German Army.
In total there have been 17,500 patients treated during a period of
1914- 18. The most patients of the Sanatorium was Lance Corporal
Adolf Hitler who lived here from October to December of 1916 after
being wounded during the Battle of the Somme.
After the war
ended Beelitz Military Hospital once again became a civilian
hospital. Third stage of Beelitz Hospital construction lasted
between 1926 and 1930. With the outbreak of a new World War in
Europe it once again became flooded with wounded soldiers. In 1942 a
Women's Sanatorium was added at the south part of the complex. New
buildings were designed by an architect Egon Eiermann. It was in use
until 1998 as a clinic for tuberculosis and other diseases. Today
some of the buildings are still in use as a nursing home as well as
Academy of Nursing.
After an empire of Adolf Hitler was
finally defeated the hospital was turned into a Soviet military
hospital during Soviet occupation. Many of the markings today are
actually in Cyrillic, alphabet used by Russians. Beelitz Military
Hospital was abandoned in 1995 after the break up of the Soviet
Union.
It is amazing to see trees that grow on roofs of some of the
building just 20 years after the grounds were abandoned. Their
growing roots do a significant damage to the overall structure. So
it is very dangerous to venture in some of these buildings. Many
structures are barely holding on so use your common sense and don't
try to pull or push any of the structures. Many seemingly solid
objects may easily come down crumbling. Grounds of a former medical
complex were used for shooting of several movies including "The
Pianist", "Valkyrie" as well clips of Rammstein videos.
Additionally it is quiet plausible that some of the chemicals stored
in the Beelitz Military Hospital might not be handled properly at
the time it was abandoned. Many of the Russian words on the hospital
walls actually warn about dangerous chemicals present in the area.
Given the fact that a stench was present in some areas of the
abandoned medical complex it is quiet possible these chemicals were
spilled, poured out or simply abandoned. Several veils of strange
chemicals were found, but no one in the right mind would try opening
them up or even touching them.
Parts of Beelitz complex were
recently renovated and reconstructed to serve a rehabilitation
clinic for the patients with Parkinson's, however most of the
Beelitz Military Hospital still lies abandoned. Locals usually avoid
the grounds of Beelitz Hospital. There are still legends circulate
that state that this building was inhabited by a Beelitz Manic who
killed several women in the area.