Sadly I was a bit late for the Wittstock Festival (the German version - without Hendrix, the Who, Grateful Dead, Santana, CSNY – but they’re hoping to get Melanie or Country Joe McDonald if they can save up enough) that they hold here around midsummer. The accommodation however made up for it.
The airfield was founded in 1934 and was used to train parachutists. Some of the finest buildings on site are from this period, although nature is winning in their struggle for survival. The scale of the site is impressive – they were clearly doing some unsportsmanlike practicing prior to the Second World War.
After the war the airfield was taken over by the Soviet Armed Forces, who replaced the grass airfield with a concrete runway. It was home to the Soviet 33 Fighter Regiment (33IAP) flying Mig29 Fulcrums and training on Mig23 Floggers. One of its former commanders was Lieutenant-General Sawitzki, later head of the Russian Baikonur Kosmodrome, whose daughter Svetlana, the second woman in space (and a bit of a stunner even if she did look a bit like Spock from Star Trek), was allegedly born at here. It was one of the most important advanced Soviet air stations: when an American U-2 spyplane was shot down over East Germany on 10 March 1964, its attacker came from Wittstock.
Some buildings were added by the Reds who went for a cheerfully functional version of Brutalism. They quite handily added dates on the outside of some of the buildings as if to remind themselves of their vintage or when they’d next need redecoration.
Welcoming Soviet era blocks
More welcomes
Lenin insulted at the loss of his nose looks away
The airfield was founded in 1934 and was used to train parachutists. Some of the finest buildings on site are from this period, although nature is winning in their struggle for survival. The scale of the site is impressive – they were clearly doing some unsportsmanlike practicing prior to the Second World War.
After the war the airfield was taken over by the Soviet Armed Forces, who replaced the grass airfield with a concrete runway. It was home to the Soviet 33 Fighter Regiment (33IAP) flying Mig29 Fulcrums and training on Mig23 Floggers. One of its former commanders was Lieutenant-General Sawitzki, later head of the Russian Baikonur Kosmodrome, whose daughter Svetlana, the second woman in space (and a bit of a stunner even if she did look a bit like Spock from Star Trek), was allegedly born at here. It was one of the most important advanced Soviet air stations: when an American U-2 spyplane was shot down over East Germany on 10 March 1964, its attacker came from Wittstock.
Some buildings were added by the Reds who went for a cheerfully functional version of Brutalism. They quite handily added dates on the outside of some of the buildings as if to remind themselves of their vintage or when they’d next need redecoration.
Welcoming Soviet era blocks
More welcomes
Lenin insulted at the loss of his nose looks away
