Ever wondered about a dam built from rubble? Welcome to Borsigdamm in Berlin. This isn’t just any street. Borsigdamm is a unique piece of Berlin’s post-war history. It’s a testament to resilience and ingenuity.
Borsigdamm stretches from Veitstrasse to Neheimer Strasse. It offers the shortest route from Tegel’s old town center towards Tegel-Süd and Spandau. Named after August Borsig in 1956 the street’s planning goes back much further. Negotiations with the Borsigwerke began in 1922. The aim was to protect cargo ships at the factory harbor from strong west winds. The solution? A dam.
Construction began in the mid-1920s. World War II interrupted progress. After the war the project resumed. Over a million cubic meters of rubble were used. This significantly widened and raised the dam. Notice the southern part is higher than the north. This is because the southern side became a large rubble pile first. Trucks couldn’t initially reach the northern part due to a canal. French pioneers built a temporary bridge. A later transport would have been far more expensive. So the higher southern part remains a charming feature. It offers delightful views of Tegeler See.
The northern part became a toboggan run. Believe it or not this was actually necessary. This is because the tracks of a mine cart system were located here. Once the cart system was no longer needed the tracks were removed. The toboggan run was then built aligning perfectly with the then existing Strandschloss restaurant. The restaurant has since been demolished. Now high-rise buildings Nixe and Neptun stand in its place.
Trees and shrubs were planted in 1950. Amazingly they were planted directly into the rubble. No topsoil or mineral soil was used. A wide variety of species was chosen. The success shows the resilience of nature. Today only strong storms reveal the rubble foundation. Before its completion in 1955 Der Nord-Berliner reported on the new excursion destination. The Borsigdamm was described as a 1.5 million project.
Finally there’s the mosaic arch. Sculptor Schultze-Seehof created this artwork. Almost exclusively from rubble the arch depicts the water sports opportunities on Tegeler See. Borsigdamm stands as a unique example of Berlin’s innovative spirit following the devastation of World War II. Its quiet beauty hides a fascinating and industrious past.