The Werneuchen airfield was built in the mid-1930s by Germany in preparation for WW2. The Luftwaffe trained pilots at the airfield with the Air Force Group 55, which is only an hour’s train ride away from Berlin. In addition to training, the Germans also developed their radar system and tested the first jet-powered aircraft here in development of the Messerschmitt Me-262.
After the Germans lost the war, the Soviets took over the site and used it until they withdrew in 1993. The Soviets repurposed existing structures and constructed new ones to house more modern jet fighters and grew the garrison.
When the Soviets left, the place was done with being a military facility and it was finally open for civilian use. The former military structures now lie abandoned with some of their furniture still standing guard in case the Cold War returns.
The place has seen decreased use since the turn of the millennium and has sees so few movements that livestock regularly graze on its grounds. The runway is still usable, but the hangars are so empty that you can hear your own voice echo inside them.
Echoing with cries for a united and peaceful Germany.
This post is part of my Berlin Zone C series from 2016-17. At the time, I lived in Berlin and had a Google Sites set up to blog about locations around Berlin’s periphery. I saved all my assets before Google decommissioned Classic Sites in 2021 and re-uploaded them to this site over time. Photographs were taken with an iPhone 5s.
