Whispers from centuries past echo around Krumme Lanke. This lake has seen settlements rise and fall. It has witnessed the changing landscape of Berlin.
Krumme Lanke is located in the southwest of Berlin. It lies in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough near the Grunewald forest. The lake is part of the Grunewald chain of lakes. Nikolassee and Schlachtensee are its neighbors.
Imagine monks strolling through this area. Back in 1251, monks from Lehnin Abbey bought the village of Crumense near Krumme Lanke. They paid 150 marks to the Ascanian Margraves Johann I and Otto III. The monks sought to expand their estate further north. The village was likely abandoned soon after this purchase. It is not recorded in the Land Book of Charles IV of 1375.
The name “Crumense” gives us a clue. In Middle Low German, it means a site by a crooked lake. Documents from 1543 and 1591 refer to the lake as Krummensee.
Pause for a moment and consider the lake’s shape. Krumme Lanke has a tube-like and curved form. It was created during the Vistula Ice Age. The lake covers about 101 acres. Its maximum depth reaches 6.60 meters. Krumme Lanke connects to Lake Schlachtensee.
Between 1938 and 1940, an SS colony was built near Krumme Lanke. The GAGFAH property company collaborated with the Office for Race and Settlement. Heinrich Himmler envisioned this as a closed community for SS officers. After 1945, many streets were renamed. However, Im Kinderland remained. The name was suggested by an SS officer’s wife. She believed these men passed on high-quality genes.
Feel the energy of those who enjoy Krumme Lanke today. A path surrounds the lake. Joggers and walkers love it. There are two bathing spots. One is for naturists. An exercise area for dogs once existed on the northern bank. But now, it is overgrown.
Unlike other nearby lakes, Krumme Lanke is home only to asp. Other lakes contain eels, tench, pike, carp, catfish, and perch.
Consider the memorial to Sergeant Fritz Göhrs on the northern bank. He died here in 1928. While riding around the lake, his horse was startled. It threw him into the water. The horse fell on him, and Göhrs drowned.
Krumme Lanke has inspired music. In 1923, Fredy Sieg wrote “Das Lied von der Krummen Lanke”. In 1973, Insterburg & Co. sang about the lake. Indie artist Ducktails created an instrumental piece called “Krumme Lanke”.
Today, Krumme Lanke is a bathing lake. It is part of the Grunewald lake chain. People come here for sunbathing, jogging, fishing, and swimming. The water is easily accessible. A large bathing meadow is at the southern end of Fischerhüttenstraße. Two shallow bathing bays with sandy beaches are in the north. Families with children enjoy these bays.
In winter, some people skate on the frozen lake. Anglers can find 18 different species of fish.
Krumme Lanke offers a blend of history and nature. Take a moment to appreciate its beauty. Remember the stories it holds within its depths.