Schönwalde I

What secrets lie hidden beneath the concrete facades of Schönwalde I? Schönwalde I, a neighborhood etched in Greifswald’s history, whispers tales of ambition and transformation. Here, amidst the towering Plattenbauten, a community arose. Schönwalde I emerged in the late 1960s. It was a response to the burgeoning energy industry in nearby Lubmin. The first three apartment blocks appeared in the Karl-Liebknecht-Ring in 1968. The official foundation stone was laid on January 4, 1969, in Nikolajewweg. Schönwalde I rapidly expanded. It offered housing for the workers of the Lubmin nuclear power plant and the growing Nachrichtenelektronik company. The district quickly filled with life. It became a home for approximately 22,000 people. The architecture of Schönwalde I reflects its utilitarian origins. Rows of Plattenbauten, prefabricated concrete slab buildings, line the streets. The most striking features of the skyline are the high-rise buildings along Lomonossowallee, constructed in 1978. These towers, reaching up to eleven stories, give Schönwalde I its distinct urban character. But Schönwalde I is more than just concrete and steel. It’s a place where lives intertwined, a community forged in the shared experience of building a new life. The neighborhood developed alongside the industries it supported. The first shopping center opened in Rossendorfer Ring in 1972, followed by another in Lomonossowallee in 1980. The first bus route connecting Schönwalde I to the rest of Greifswald started operating in 1971. Schools, kindergartens, and cultural spaces followed, nurturing the neighborhood’s growth. As you stand here in Schönwalde I, look beyond the concrete. Imagine the bustling lives within, the families who made these apartments their homes, and the workers who fueled the region’s industrial engine. Schönwalde I stands as a testament to a pivotal era in Greifswald’s history, a reminder of the city’s industrial past and its enduring spirit.