Landscape Park Rudow-Altglienicke Meadow landscape on the former border strip

Hinterland wall

Remains of the so-called Hinterland wall have been preserved on Rudower Straße. During an inventory in January 2003, 142 wall segments were recorded (width approx. 2.60 meters, height approx. three meters, a complete segment consists of six concrete slabs pushed over each other). The total length of the listed Hinterland wall is around 364 metres.

The aim of the design is to preserve the listed Hinterland wall not as an isolated element, but as part of a larger spatial context. The relics of the border installations, but also the traces of the post-reunification period should remain visible in this part of the park. The transition from this inventory-oriented part of the park, in which history is to remain legible, to the completely redesigned park areas is marked by an embankment and by a clear change in the planting.

Flower meadows

The park as a colourful flowering meadow landscape offers space for diverse recreational uses. The herb-rich seed mixtures and the differentiated maintenance create structurally rich meadows with varied flowering aspects. Thus, high-growing fresh meadows can develop, e.g. with knapweed, meadow daisy and meadow bluebell; in drier areas, sparser low-medium-growing stands develop, e.g. with Carthusian carnation, and in very dry, patchy areas, low-growing stands develop, e.g. with wall pepper. The structurally rich extensive meadows, in conjunction with individual trees and groups of trees and shrubs, provide a feeding and breeding habitat for numerous species of insects and birds.
In clearly defined areas, impressive vegetation patterns - fields of arable flowers - are created with annually changing large-scale sowings of arable herbs.
In part, the seeds were obtained in the wider environment of the landscape park and spread in the hay mulch seeding process.

Spy tunnel

"Operation Gold"
One of the most spectacular cases of telecommunications espionage came to light in 1956. From the end of 1954 to the spring of 1955, the CIA, together with the British Secret Service SIS, had driven an approximately 420-meter-long tunnel (of which about 350 meters were under GDR territory) from the site of "Site I" in Rudow under the area of Altglienicke (East Berlin) in order to eavesdrop on Soviet military lines there.

Three cables with 275 twin wires each were tapped, so that theoretically about 1,200 conversations could be intercepted simultaneously. On average, about 30 teleprinters and about 120 telephone calls were tapped at the same time. At peak times, nearly 700 people were engaged in this task, consuming some 50,000 reels of tape on hundreds of Ampex tape recorders installed in the "Site 1" warehouse. 443,000 conversations were recorded, 368,000 of them Russian and 75,000 German. Tragically, this operation, costing some 25 million US dollars and with the cover name "Operation Gold", had already been betrayed to the KGB by a British agent during the planning phase. Thus, in April 1956, an East German technician "accidentally" found the tunnel during maintenance work and the issue was exploited for propaganda purposes. Despite the betrayal and the fact that the Soviets were aware of the operation, the Western intelligence services were able to gain a not inconsiderable amount of information.

11.09.1998 Berliner Kurier
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary, the Allied Museum is commemorating the history of the Berlin spy tunnel with a special exhibition. To this day, many legends and myths surround this event. In addition, documents relating to this event are still classified as "secret". Thanks to years of research, the museum is now able to present for the first time a comprehensive account of this probably unique operation in the history of the Western secret services. In addition to unpublished photo and film material, parts of the original tunnel will also be on display and can even be walked through. One part of the tunnel is the last authentic piece to be recovered by the museum in cooperation with the Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development in 2005. The museum has already owned another tunnel section since 1997, which can be seen in restored form in the permanent exhibition. In April 1956, the Berlin spy tunnel was discovered by units of the Soviet armed forces in the GDR. It ran from the American sector in Neukölln/Rudow to Treptow/Altglienike in the Soviet sector. The tunnel was a joint operation of the American and British intelligence services and served the purpose of tapping and intercepting telephone cables that connected the headquarters of the Soviet forces with Moscow. The tunnel was in operation for 11 months until its spectacular discovery. Some 440,000 telephone calls were recorded during that time. The construction of the approximately 450-metre-long tube and the eavesdropping technology used in it made the Berlin spy tunnel an outstanding event in the history of the Cold War. The particularly explosive nature of Operation Gold/Stopwatch is explained not least by the fact that a British double agent, George Blake, betrayed the operation to the Soviet secret service KGB before it had even been set in motion.
The Altglienick spy tunnel is the subject of the 1992 film "...and the Sky Stands Still", directed by John Schlesinger, with Anthony Hopkins and Isabella Rosselini, based on the novel "The Innocent" by Ian McEwan.

Path concept

The landscape park's trail system is clearly divided into four hierarchical levels: main trail (level 1), park pointer (2), park trails (3), and paths (4).

The paths of each hierarchy level have a uniform, clearly identifiable design. In addition to the path width, profile design, surface materiality and edging, the benches used along the path are clear distinguishing features between the individual path types. A basic model is developed for the bench types in order to keep the maintenance effort as low as possible.
Running from north to south, a five-meter-wide main path traverses the parking area in a generous gesture. It provides space in accordance with the usage requirements and its surface allows for convenient and effective traversal of the parkland. Due to the planned asphalt paving, the 2.1-kilometre-long main path becomes an attraction for skaters, for example. It is continued to the north in the Teltowkanal-Begleitweg and to the south in the former Wall border path.
Generously dimensioned, six-meter-wide paved promenades with integrated planting strips and accompanying rows of trees function as park pointers and are located along the curve of the main path.
On the one hand, a subordinate system with 2.5-meter-wide water-bound park paths links path connections of the adjacent districts. On the other hand, it traverses the area of the cultural landscape and invites people to take a leisurely stroll.
Lowly frequented park areas are made accessible by 0.70-meter-wide paths with a gravel surface.
Only in a few places is there a deviation from this strict hierarchy concept: Where the spatial allocation to residential quarters or special views suggest it, the water-bound park paths are widened in a promenade-like manner so that they can accommodate rows of trees and seating.

Level 1
The main path is five metres wide and receives a surface covering of water-permeable asphalt (drain asphalt). As a combined pedestrian and bicycle path, the main path of the landscape park is also a segment of the higher-level "Wall Path", which circles the western part of Berlin along the course of the former Wall.

Level 2
The park pointers are the main connections between the main path of the park and the adjacent residential neighborhoods. The path profile is divided into two movement areas of different widths, separated by an "inset" 1.50 metre wide planter strip. Together with the three-metre and 1.50-metre wide movement areas, the total width of the parkway is six metres. Small stone paving areas with benches are integrated into the planting strips. Large-format concrete paving is used as the path surface (e.g. 30 x 60 x 12). The park pointers are accompanied by a loosely placed row of trees (columnar hornbeams). In the area of the puddles and agricultural areas, the park pointers will be less elaborately designed: The inlaid planting strip will be omitted, resulting in a continuous pavement five meters wide. In addition, a simpler bench type will be used.

Level 3
The parkway is traversed by a network of subordinate parkways with water-bound surfacing. The parkways are 2.5 metres wide and edged on both sides with steel strip. The park paths serve the internal development of the park and connect to existing paths in the urban environment. Seating is provided along the park paths to encourage resting, lingering and observation.

Level 4
In addition to the subordinate network of park paths, narrow paths are provided to access remote parts of the park and provide shortcuts. The paths are 0.70 metres wide and receive a gravel top layer. Paths can - if they are not sufficiently frequented - overgrow and disappear. Or they can be further developed into park paths if they are particularly heavily used. In the area of the municipal cemetery, a separate design theme is developed from the motif of paths. The paths, seemingly randomly distributed like micado sticks, open up a meadow area planted with wild fruit trees. Large-format concrete slabs lend the paths durability.

back to overview

1. Hinterland wall
2. Flower meadows
3. Spy tunnel
4. Path concept