Beelitz is a beautiful and historic town in the Potsdam-Mittlemark district in Brandenburg, Germany and well known for its white asparagus which is popular in the area. It's also home to Beelitz Heilstatten a former tuberculosis sanatorium and military hospital.
Built in the beautiful pine woods of the Nuthe-Nieplitz nature park it was first opened as a tuberculosis sanatorium in 1902.
In 1914 the Red Cross took over after the outbreak of the first world war and it's been pretty much used as a military hospital ever since with Adolf Hitler being a patient during the last two months of 1916.
By the end of World War II the complex was taken over by the Russians and Beelitz Heilstatten became the largest Soviet military hospital outside of the former USSR and they didn't leave until 1994, well after the reunification of Germany.
After being forced to resign as head of the East German government, Erich Honecker was admitted here in December 1990 suffering from liver cancer.
Since the Russians left, there have been several attempts to privatise the huge complex, but without any success and it deteriated from then on Although now some of the buildings are being restored to their former beauty and you get a hint of how sensational it once must have been.
Since 2007 the abandoned hospital and the surrounding area has been left unsecured and looks very much like a ghost town. It's now often used as a film set and with its amazing natural light and the eerie atmosphere you feel as you walk along its many long corridors you can see why.
In its glory Beelitz Heilstatten must have been absolutely stunning as the beauty is still there for all to see, even in its severely derelict state. I feel so enriched that I was able to experience it's unique atmosphere and capture it's outstanding beauty.
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