Before you stands a place once called “Palme”. It was officially known as Städtisches Obdach. This translates to Municipal Shelter. It was Berlin’s largest homeless asylum. The Städtisches Obdach “Palme” existed from 1886 to 1940. It stood on Fröbelstraße 15 in Prenzlauer Berg.
This shelter is considered one of Europe’s first homeless facilities. In 1940, the building transformed into a hospital. Today, it is the Klinikum Prenzlauer Berg. The building is a protected historical monument.
Locals called it “Palme” or Palm. Legend says a potted palm stood near the entrance. This palm was in the foyer during the early years. The Städtisches Obdach was once a model of municipal care. Overcrowding and dire conditions made the Palme a symbol of poverty. This was especially true around 1900 and in the 1920s. In times of great need, it housed over 5,000 people per night.
The Städtisches Obdach emerged on Berlin’s edge. It was near a hospital and a leper house under construction. Originally, it was designed for 1,400 people. By early 1893, it housed an average of 2,000 homeless people nightly.
Between 1892 and 1895, the Städtisches Obdach expanded significantly. This was due to rising occupancy rates. Besides the enlarged main building, there were additions. These included 40 dormitories for single homeless people, a washhouse, and a disinfection facility. There was also a residence for the disinfector. After the expansion in 1895, it became a model of municipal care. This was thanks to its hygiene facilities and technical equipment.
The Städtisches Obdach divided into two sections. One was for homeless families. The other was for nightly homeless individuals. Rules from 1908 allowed space for 2,800 single homeless. In emergencies, it could house up to 3,400. Stays were limited to five nights. They were only allowed five times within three months. The family section had separate rooms for men and women. It offered beds for 144 men and 240 women. Pregnant women from the fourth month were admitted. They received accommodation and food for up to four weeks.
Starting December 27, 1911, seventy homeless people died rapidly. They died from poisoning. Initially, this drew public attention. People feared a contagious epidemic. It remains unclear if tainted alcohol or spoiled fish caused the mass poisoning.
In the 1920s, crises arose. Inflation, economic hardship, and unemployment caused overcrowding. The Städtisches Obdach faced catastrophic conditions. Designed for 4,600, it sometimes sheltered over 5,000.
After the Nazi rise to power in 1933, occupancy declined. This was due to the persecution of homeless people. In 1940, the Städtisches Obdach closed. It transformed into a hospital.
The building’s architecture dates to 1886-1887. The city commissioned Hermann Blankenstein. Fritz Haack and Weber also contributed. Vincent Dylewski and Max Knopff expanded it from 1893 to 1895.
The entire complex became a protected monument. It was designated as the Städtisches Krankenhaus Prenzlauer Berg. In 2011, the Pankow district assembly sought to commemorate the Obdach’s history. In 2012, the district’s memorial plaque commission decided to erect two memorial steles. Vivantes, the hospital operator, agreed and covered the costs. These steles were inaugurated on August 27, 2013.
Willibald Krain created a pen drawing in 1925. It was titled “Vor dem Obdachlosenasyl in der Fröbelstraße”. Käthe Kollwitz created a chalk lithograph in 1926. It was simply named “Städtisches Obdach”.
Today, two over-sized memorial steles mark the location. They stand before the Vivantes Clinic. They serve as a stark reminder. They commemorate the Städtisches Obdach “Palme”. It was a place of last resort for so many. It highlights a complex chapter in Berlin’s history.