where once the leaders of the communist sed regime were wined and dined at banquets and official state functions, today, a creative and innovative community of artists, artisans and workshops is flourishing without peer in berlin.
situated approx. 5 km from the alexanderplatz in berlin-lichtenberg, the FAHRBEREITSCHAFT seems inconspicuous at first glance: it consists of classical gdr-buildings, garages and auto paint shop advertisements. apart from mitte and friedrichshain, a typical image of east berlin. but in spite of what the drab industrial area near the vietnamese dong xuan centre would have you believe, the 193,000 sqft former gdr-ministerial transport hq has a lot to offer. alongside the former garages, which have almost all been rebuilt to attractive, light filled studios and ateliers, 13 further historical buildings are being upgraded to modern technological standards while maintaining respect for historical significance and details that they have to offer. the highlights are the well maintained petrol station dating from the 1950s, the casino including an authentic bar, the ballroom, the bowling alley (with an equally authentic bar) and the wonderfully glazed operations hq. with its ample gdr-ambience the FAHRBEREITSCHAFT provides a unique setting for events and film- and photo shootings, as seen in wladimir kaminer’s “russendisko”, the ard-production “weissensee”, arte’s “durch die nacht mit” as well as during numerous private and corporate events.
the location will continue developing as a unique and creative hub. FAHRBEREITSCHAFT still is home to an auto paint shop and two workshops, a tire dealership and the worker’s samaritan union, but now also boasts various fashion producers. More and more contemporary artists have been settling here as well.
the FAHRBEREITSCHAFT is one of berlin’s most exciting projects due to the interplay of past and present, the inspiring surroundings and the special mix of tenants, of whom each one brings a unique and positive development of the area.
history:
the address of the object has been herzbergstr. 43 – 45 until 1943.
1901 – 13
bank für sprit- und produktenhandel ag (spirit factory, erection in 1901)
1914 – 20
spritbank ag (spirit factory)
1921
c.a.f. kahlbaum ag (liqueur factory)
1922 – 43
central spirits-office of the reichsmonopolverwaltung (german monopolies’ administration)
1944 – 45
major damages due to wwii bomb attacks, destruction of all historic construction records
27.7.1945
the sowjetische militäradministration in deutschland (smad, german sovjet military administration) calls the deutsche zentralverwaltung (dzv, german central administration) via order 17 into life. the grounds are now used to “centrally supervise, distribute and control spirits of all kinds on the account of the state’s executing authority”.
17.4.1948
smad-expropriation via command 64. the complex can no longer be sold to private individuals.
7.10.1949
formation of the gdr
1.1.1950
acquisition by vvb spirituszentrale (central spirits-office of the organization of private enterprises)
1.7.1950
acquisition by fundament gesellschaft für grundbesitz mbh (real estate corporation)
1953
formation of hauptabteilung ii (key division ii) by merging the divisions in charge of espionage and counterintelligence. central tasks of hauptabteilung ii: the infiltration of the capitalist abroad. the division “verkehr” (transportation) is conducted by two party-owned corporations, one of them deutsche kraftverkehr grünau located on herzbergstr. 40 – 43.
1954 – 55
reconstruction for new purposes
13.8.1961
erection of the berlin wall
27.1.1962
nationalization: the complex is handed over to the zentralkomitee (zk, central committee) of the sozialistische einheitspartei deutschland (sed, german socialist unity party)
1971 – 89
the grounds are subject to secrecy. they work as one of several objects belonging to the division “verkehr”, controlled by the sed’s central committee. the yards, protectively surrounded by barbwire, host craftsman’s shops, car parks, service units and administrative entities. the alias “verkehr” conceals a conspiratorially acting network, supplying the dkp (german communist party) and other communist formations with vast amounts of money, keeping up secret connections to west german communists. its main task is the financing of friendly foreign parties and other organizations. doing so, the “verkehr”-division works closely with the unternehmen für kommerzielle koordinierung (koko, corporation for commercial coordination) of former state secretary and sed-currency procurer alexander schalck-golodkowski. one part of the cooperation is a secretly operated border gate through the berlin wall.
(further information: der spiegel 34/1990, 08/20/1990)
1991
as determined by the unification treaty, the grounds are now under the control of the german department of treasury, successor organization of the reichsmonopolverwaltung
1991 – 2009
administration by the bundesanstalt für immobilienaufgaben (bima, german office for real estate concerns). the archives of the former kpd, banned in 1956, are discovered in the basement of the building complex.
2010
acquisition by venturenauten gmbh
1.1.2013
acquisition by the current owners
no liability assumed.
cited from the www.FAHRBEREITSCHAFT.org
