“Urban oasis” might come to your mind when thinking of the Goethepark. This park offers a serene escape right here in Berlin’s Wedding district. Let’s explore the history and significance of this green space.
The Goethepark was created between 1922 and 1924. This was a period of expansion for residential and recreational areas. It aimed to serve the predominantly working-class families of the district. Albert Brodersen and Rudolf Germer planned the park. Germer was the garden director of the Wedding district.
Initially, the area was part of the Prussian estate district of Plötzensee. It bordered the Jungfernheide with its pine forests and sand dunes. Before becoming a park, this land served a very different purpose. Since the 19th century, the area was a shooting and practice range for the Prussian artillery and cavalry. Imagine soldiers training here instead of families relaxing.
The Goethepark covers about 37 hectares. That is around 91 acres. It’s part of a larger green area. The adjacent Volkspark Rehberge adds another 78 hectares. Together, they form a substantial recreational landscape.
After World War II, the Goethepark’s original area was halved. The other half became home to the district’s road and green space office. A large daycare center was also built there. A youth and leisure center called Begegnungsstätte Dohnagestell found its home in a listed half-timbered house.
The park’s design takes advantage of the naturally uneven terrain. This terrain was shaped by dune formations and the excavation of the Berlin-Spandau Ship Canal. Some paths in the park are elevated up to eight meters. These paths create a hollow way in the northern part.
Three brick rondels mark higher points within the park’s trail network. They act as visual landmarks. Trees and undergrowth have since overgrown these rondels. Two of them are at opposite ends of a diagonal sight axis in the park’s center.
A perimeter path encircles the designed landscape. It allows access to the Volkspark and the residential streets. In the southern part of the Goethepark, a large lawn offers a space for recreation. It is framed by tall trees along its elevated edges. You can find a small playground and benches.
A memorial to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe stands in the Goethepark. It is a stone depiction of Goethe’s death mask. The naming of the Goethepark was confusing for a long time. Its name was intended as a counterpart to the Schillerpark. Both parks were located on either side of Müllerstrasse.
Conflicting plans and opinions between district and city authorities caused further confusion. Some city maps labeled the entire area as Volkspark Rehberge. Others only used the name Goethepark. A 1937 map even shifted the parks’ locations. It renamed the entire area including Volkspark as Goethepark. It relocated the Volkspark Rehberge to the military area of the Julius Leber barracks.
Even today, some uncertainty remains. The Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment limits the Volkspark Rehberge. But in the same text, it describes the Goethepark as part of it. The Goethepark features a large lawn. You can find an entrance on the west side. There is also a playground. A high path runs along Senegalstrasse. The statue of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was created by Paula Hansel-Pauly in 1957.
So, when you stroll through the Goethepark, remember its layered history. From military training grounds to a cherished urban retreat, the Goethepark offers a tranquil space for all.