Here, beneath the Hellers in Dresden’s Albertstadt, rises a natural elevation. This is the Proschhügel. It reaches 160 meters above sea level. Its highest point measures 164.4 meters.
The Proschhügel has a story etched into its very soil. Once, it was completely covered in forest. But as the Albertstadt’s barracks expanded, most of the trees were cut down. Later, parts of the Proschhügel were used as a sand pit and even a landfill.
Imagine the scene after the Second World War. At the western end, debris from Albertstadt was piled high. Today the landfills have been renatured. They now connect to the park in the eastern part of the area. A green space now covers what was once waste.
Pause for a moment. Consider the institutions now located on the Proschhügel. The Dresden branch of the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is here. So is the Dresden Correctional Facility. These buildings represent very different aspects of city life.
From 1946 to 2011, Fabricestraße was actually named Proschhügelstraße. Street names often reflect an area’s history. In April 2016, Fire Station 1 of the Dresden Fire Department opened south of the Proschhügel. It stands at the corner of Fabricestraße and Magazinstraße. It replaced the Dresden-Neustadt fire station. The old station had become too small.
The Proschhügel’s story is one of transformation. From a wooded hill to a site of industry and waste. Now it has become a space for institutions and recreation. It shows how a landscape can change. It is a reminder that cities evolve over time. The Proschhügel connects to Dresden’s past. It is also part of its present.