Old post from a trip a few years ago.
History from Wikipedia
In 1871, the Prussian Ministry of War relocated the artillery test range from Tegel to the Kummersdorf Forest, officially opening it in 1875. Over the years, it became a key site for testing weapons, fortifications, and military technology. By the 1920s, secret research into artillery, armoured vehicles, aviation, and signals technology had begun.
From 1929, rocket propulsion research was undertaken, with Wernher von Braun and Walter Dornberger leading experiments. By 1934, successful A-2 rocket launches took place, but fatal accidents also occurred. Rocket-powered aircraft were tested in the mid-1930s, and by 1937, development moved to Peenemünde for greater secrecy. Hitler visited in 1939 but was sceptical about rocket potential. After 1938, nuclear research was conducted at Kummersdorf.
Kummersdorf was also a key site for testing captured Allied tanks, including American Shermans, Soviet T-34s, and British Churchills, alongside German prototypes like the Tiger II and the Maus super-heavy tank. Mechanical limitations were highlighted during the 1942 Soviet offensive.
In late 1944, a tank company formed at Kummersdorf, incorporating various armoured vehicles. It engaged in combat in April 1945 but was ultimately destroyed. The fate of many tanks left at the facility remains uncertain, though some may have been used in Operation Greif or other final battles near Berlin.
After the war the site was used by the Soviets motorised divisions until their retreat in 1994.
The visit
On an extended trip to the former East Germany a few years back. We got here at the end of a long day at Sperenburg and the light was fading fast. We unfortunately only got to see half the site on one side of the road, which up until recently seemed to be looked after by a museum association, but perhaps neglected somewhat in recent years.
The main artillery school building. We couldn't access due to the quite hilariously over the top barricade security measures pictured below. The last pictures of the interior I could find were dated from the early 2010s, but from the outside it looked like the majority of the interior consisted of several stories worth of collapsed floors.
The tower stood looming over the sight, with equally hilarious over the top security measures inside (see the razor wire). My exploring friend made the extended effort to climb over it but at the end of a long day exploring I couldn't face it.
The various warehouses built for tanks and motor vehicles contained great soviet murals and mossy carpets.
This image in this mural is of the swallows nest in Crimea (link), at the time of painting in the USSR, then in Ukraine, then invaded by Russia again. An interesting image to ponder given Russia had launched its renewed invasion of Ukraine a few days prior (although its annexation of Crimea was a decade before). I'm not sure of its cultural significance, but I've seen this pop up in a few former Soviet bases in East Germany.
A speed gage found from some sort of soviet vehicle, would welcome any suggestions what this might be.
An impromptu basketball court set up.
Prussian military insignia, reflecting the sites pre-Nazi and pre-Soviet usage.
History from Wikipedia
In 1871, the Prussian Ministry of War relocated the artillery test range from Tegel to the Kummersdorf Forest, officially opening it in 1875. Over the years, it became a key site for testing weapons, fortifications, and military technology. By the 1920s, secret research into artillery, armoured vehicles, aviation, and signals technology had begun.
From 1929, rocket propulsion research was undertaken, with Wernher von Braun and Walter Dornberger leading experiments. By 1934, successful A-2 rocket launches took place, but fatal accidents also occurred. Rocket-powered aircraft were tested in the mid-1930s, and by 1937, development moved to Peenemünde for greater secrecy. Hitler visited in 1939 but was sceptical about rocket potential. After 1938, nuclear research was conducted at Kummersdorf.
Kummersdorf was also a key site for testing captured Allied tanks, including American Shermans, Soviet T-34s, and British Churchills, alongside German prototypes like the Tiger II and the Maus super-heavy tank. Mechanical limitations were highlighted during the 1942 Soviet offensive.
In late 1944, a tank company formed at Kummersdorf, incorporating various armoured vehicles. It engaged in combat in April 1945 but was ultimately destroyed. The fate of many tanks left at the facility remains uncertain, though some may have been used in Operation Greif or other final battles near Berlin.
After the war the site was used by the Soviets motorised divisions until their retreat in 1994.
The visit
On an extended trip to the former East Germany a few years back. We got here at the end of a long day at Sperenburg and the light was fading fast. We unfortunately only got to see half the site on one side of the road, which up until recently seemed to be looked after by a museum association, but perhaps neglected somewhat in recent years.
The main artillery school building. We couldn't access due to the quite hilariously over the top barricade security measures pictured below. The last pictures of the interior I could find were dated from the early 2010s, but from the outside it looked like the majority of the interior consisted of several stories worth of collapsed floors.
The tower stood looming over the sight, with equally hilarious over the top security measures inside (see the razor wire). My exploring friend made the extended effort to climb over it but at the end of a long day exploring I couldn't face it.
The various warehouses built for tanks and motor vehicles contained great soviet murals and mossy carpets.
This image in this mural is of the swallows nest in Crimea (link), at the time of painting in the USSR, then in Ukraine, then invaded by Russia again. An interesting image to ponder given Russia had launched its renewed invasion of Ukraine a few days prior (although its annexation of Crimea was a decade before). I'm not sure of its cultural significance, but I've seen this pop up in a few former Soviet bases in East Germany.
A speed gage found from some sort of soviet vehicle, would welcome any suggestions what this might be.
An impromptu basketball court set up.
Prussian military insignia, reflecting the sites pre-Nazi and pre-Soviet usage.
