Can you feel the echoes of Berlin’s industrial past? Right here stands the Gasometer Mariendorf. It is a silent giant. It reminds us of an era when gas fueled this city.
The Gasometer Mariendorf is more than just a historical landmark. It is a symbol of Berlin’s transformation. It stands tall within the Marienpark Berlin. This park was once the Gaswerk Mariendorf. The gas plant was the largest in Berlin around 1900.
Let’s take a step back in time. The Gaswerk Mariendorf was built between 1900 and 1901. Back then, it was Berlin’s biggest gas plant. It mainly supplied the southern districts with city gas. Gas was primarily used for gas lighting.
The Imperial Continental Gas Association, or ICGA, introduced gas lighting to Berlin’s streets in 1826. This company supplied many European cities with gas. As Berlin grew, the ICGA needed its own gas plant in the south.
Mariendorf was a strategic location. It was central to the communities needing supply. The location also had good connections. It connected to the Berlin-Dresden railway line and the Teltow Canal.
Adolf Lewissohn played a key role. He convinced landowners to sell their plots to the ICGA. Construction finished in 1901. Edward Drory aimed to improve working conditions through mechanization.
The Gasometer Mariendorf used coal to produce city gas. The Mariendorf harbor opened in 1906. It connected the gas plant to Brandenburg’s waterways. This made coal deliveries from Silesia much easier. Cranes and a hanging railway helped transport the coal on site.
After World War I, the ICGA was liquidated. The Deutsche Gasgesellschaft took over the Gasometer Mariendorf. In 1923, the Berliner Gaswerke AG, or GASAG, acquired the plant. GASAG is still responsible for Berlin’s gas supply.
The Gasometer Mariendorf expanded to meet growing demands. New buildings were added. These included residential and administrative buildings. Two spherical gas containers and a new water tower were installed in the 1960s.
By 1980, coal gas production stopped. The plant then produced gas from methanol and light gasoline. In the 1990s, Berlin switched from city gas to natural gas. The Gasometer Mariendorf became unnecessary. It was shut down in 1996 and dismantled by 1999.
The buildings’ design reflects North German brick Gothic style. The buildings were arranged for efficient gas production. Resources arrived and were stored in the north. Production flowed from north to south. Today, all buildings remain except the retort houses.
The architecture came from Schulz & Schlichting. Architect Paul Karchow oversaw later modifications from 1903. The Gasometer Mariendorf had about 25 buildings. The old water tower stands at 29 meters. A telescopic low-pressure gas container still exists. It was moved from Vienna.
A new water tower was built in 1969. It has a concrete base and cone-shaped water tank. The spherical gas containers are also still here.
GASAG installed a large photovoltaic system on the site. It had over 7,700 solar modules. It generated two megawatts of power. In 2013, BMDF Gewerbepark Berlin-Mariendorf GmbH & Co. KG bought parts of the site. They now market it as Marienpark Berlin.
The Gasometer Mariendorf itself can hold 108,000 cubic meters of gas. It was originally built in Vienna in the 1890s. The ICGA moved it to Mariendorf. It was renovated between 2012 and 2014. The two spherical gas containers each hold 16,500 cubic meters. They are currently unused.
The Mariendorf harbor connects to the Teltow Canal. Coal and heating oil were once unloaded here. The old and new water towers are architectural landmarks. The new water tower is about 48 meters tall.
So here we stand before the Gasometer Mariendorf. It is a monument to Berlin’s industrial age. A reminder of how the city has evolved. It’s a place where history meets the future.