Rathauspark

Did the Rathauspark in Berlin always exist? No. Before the Rathauspark graced Lichtenberg, the area held a different story. It was a small space tucked behind the homes lining Frankfurter Allee and the then-Dorfstraße, now Möllendorffstraße. This unassuming area was part of a communal cemetery established in the 13th century. The cemetery served its solemn purpose until its closure in 1923, marking a turning point for the land that would become Rathauspark. After the devastation of World War II, only one residential block remained at the intersection of Frankfurter Allee and Möllendorffstraße. Miraculously, the trees survived. Amidst the clearing of ruins, a new green space emerged, centered around the restored Fischerbrunnen, a fountain featuring a youth holding a fish. This area, later named Stefan-Heym-Platz in 2014, stands separate from the Rathauspark’s current design. Within Rathauspark lies the Blutmauer, a remaining section of the old cemetery wall. This wall witnessed a tragic event in March 1919. Eleven insurgents and civilians were executed and buried there during clashes. Two plaques now mark this somber spot. In 1989, the East Berlin administration erected the sculpture “Erben der Spartakuskämpfer” (Heirs of the Spartacus Fighters) on the sloping lawn facing the Rathaus, created by sculptor Emerita Pansowová. Two informational stelae about the site’s history were added in 2021. The Wilhelmine Loeper tomb, a listed cultural monument, also remains from the former cemetery. During the 1960s, a barrack housed the district’s housing office along Möllendorffstraße. Flowerbeds and seating areas were arranged in front. This barrack remained a citizen’s office after the reunification. Later, it was demolished, leaving behind only a small, shrub-covered square and a flowerbed. In 2013, trainees from the green spaces office drafted designs for this 4000 m² area. These “Rathausblick” (Town Hall View) sketches were displayed publicly, with a planned redesign budgeted at 35,000 Euros for 2014. Rathauspark, never officially dedicated, remained largely overlooked for years, used only occasionally for events like the annual “Spectaculum am lichten Berg,” a medieval festival that started in 2013. In 2016, the Lichtenberg district council decided to elevate the area to a proper city park. In 2017, five landscape architecture firms participated in a design competition, incorporating existing elements. The winning designs, including the first-place entry by Marcel Adam, were presented publicly in November 2017, integrating community and student input. Construction began in October 2019, backed by one million Euros. Rathauspark was completed in three phases by the end of 2020 and officially opened in May 2021.