Imagine a tiny island republic. It sits nestled in Berlin’s Tegeler See. This is Reiswerder. It is an island with a unique story.
Reiswerder is part of Berlin’s Reinickendorf district. Nature lovers manage this small island. They leased it. A ferry shares the island’s name. It connects Reiswerder to the mainland.
These nature enthusiasts maintain allotments here. Reiswerder boasts Europe’s smallest town hall. An island hut exists here. Locals call it “Baude”. The islanders enjoy many parties. Evenings are often spent together. Only two families live here permanently. A pair of raccoons lives here too. The island lacks running water and electricity. Imagine this in the middle of Berlin.
The ferry runs frequently in summer. It operates every half-hour between 6 am and sunset. This is from April to mid-October. Winter ferry service is limited. It runs only on Fridays, weekends, and holidays. Formerly, only residents and association members could board. Now, anyone curious can visit. They can take a guided tour of this small nature republic.
Reiswerder is small. It measures 330 meters long and 180 meters wide. Its area covers 35,077 square meters. The Association of Nature Friends Baumwerder Reiswerder e. V. 1914 operates the ferry. The landing is near the bathing area. This is on the eastern shore of Tegeler See.
Despite lacking utilities, Reiswerder has cabins and a restaurant. The “town hall” serves as an administrative building. Gardening is restricted here.
Reiswerder is part of a protected area. This is the LSG-2C Islands in Tegeler See. It was formed in 1960. Its use is significantly restricted. Shoreline expansions and docks need special permission.
Reiswerder has a history filled with anecdotes. Some are harmless. Others are tragic. During the Berlin Wall era, it was a popular vacation spot. Many Berliners still haven’t heard of it.
In 1943, residents of Baumwerder were forced to relocate here. Baumwerder is a neighboring island. The previous tenants viewed this skeptically. It led to a division on Reiswerder. The Bonus family had considered the island their own for years. Now they had to share. Baumwerder was cleared. The waterworks needed it. It was for drinking water.
Tragedy struck on August 23, 1944. Someone betrayed people hiding on the island. The Gestapo came. A small group of Jews had been hiding here for months. Up to 2,000 Berlin Jews survived the antisemitic terror. “Silent heroes” like Wilhelm Daene and his wife Margarete helped. He tried to help Jewish forced laborers. The couple hid three Jewish women. Two survived. Gerda Lesser was sheltered on Reiswerder. She was deported and murdered in Auschwitz. She was only 18.
Three of the other four deported from Reiswerder survived. Gerhart Fleck died in Auschwitz. His wife Erna was liberated. She returned to Berlin in poor health. She opened a kiosk. It was called “Fleck’sche Erfrischungsquelle”. It was across from Reiswerder. Hermann Dietz was also freed. He then lived in a cabin on Reiswerder. Lotte Basch weighed only 42 kilos when freed. She emigrated to the USA.
All three survivors struggled for years. They fought for compensation. Christiane Carstens researched these stories. She fell in love with the island. She tells the story in a book. It includes historical photos. It is called “Untergetaucht auf Reiswerder”.
So, as you stand here. Remember the stories of Reiswerder. It is an island of nature, community, and resilience. Its past whispers through the trees. It echoes across the water.