A chilling wind whispers through the trees. Welcome to Murellenschlucht und Schanzenwald. This seemingly peaceful nature reserve holds a dark secret. It’s a place of both stunning natural beauty and somber history.
Murellenschlucht und Schanzenwald is a hilly landscape in Berlin’s Westend. Formed during the Weichselian Ice Age it’s a unique environment. This nature reserve is part of a larger biotope network. The Murellenberge hills rise up to 62 meters. The Murellenschlucht gorge cuts as deep as 30 meters. The area boasts a diverse yet endangered flora and fauna. Its dry grasslands support rare plants and insects.
For over 150 years Murellenschlucht und Schanzenwald served a military and police purpose. The forest stands grew almost undisturbed. In 1936 the Waldbuehne an open-air stage was built here. It was a significant intervention but the natural slopes remained. However a far more sinister use occurred. The National Socialists used these hills as an execution site. Deserters and those deemed ‘wehrkraftzersetzer’ were murdered here.
The names Murellen or Morellen likely derive from the Morelle a type of wild cherry. The area’s geology includes numerous erratic boulders. Two are even protected natural monuments. One rests in the gorge the other was moved near a subway station. These boulders are reminders of the Ice Age’s power. The climate here is temperate and transitional. Parts of the gorge are known as ‘cold islands’ in the city.
The area’s history is interwoven with urban development. The construction of roads railroads and housing estates drastically altered its landscape. It was once connected to the Grunewald forest. However the building of the Olympic site in 1936 broke that connection. The construction of a high rise housing estate in the 1960s sealed this separation permanently.
The Schanzenwald’s northern area also experienced significant changes. Barracks shooting ranges and entrenchments were built around 1840. After World War II British forces used it as a training ground. The Elsgraben a ditch that once served as the northern border was filled in around 1930. It impacted the water balance of the area. Since 2007 this section of the Schanzenwald is open to the public again. This renaturalization was largely funded by Deutsche Bahn as a conservation measure.
A memorial known as the ‘Denkzeichen’ stands in remembrance of those executed by the Nazi military justice system. The shootings likely occurred near the ammunition depot or in a nearby sandpit not in the gorge itself. Over 230 people were executed here between 1944 and 1945. The memorial created by artist Patricia Pisani uses traffic mirrors. They reflect the history and warn visitors.
Murellenschlucht und Schanzenwald is a powerful testament to nature’s resilience. It’s also a stark reminder of a dark chapter in German history. This site is a place to reflect on both the beauty and the brutality of the past. Please take a moment to appreciate both aspects of this complex space.