Do you see that green space stretching out before us? That is Thörls Park in Hamburg. It is more than just a park. Thörls Park is a place rich with history and stories waiting to be uncovered.
Thörls Park spans about five hectares. It sits in the Hamm district east of the Burgstraße U-Bahn station. The park’s name honors Friedrich Thörl. He was an industrialist who bought the land in 1884.
Let’s step back in time. In 1928, Thörl sold the area to Hamburg. During the 1930s, the villa in the park became a training center for NS organizations. Sadly, the air raids of 1943 destroyed the villa and the park.
After the war, from 1945 Thörls Park was redeveloped to become a citizens’ park. From 1945 to 1954, one of Hamburg’s largest rubble processing plants operated here. The rubble from the eastern districts was collected then crushed. It was then transported to what is now Öjendorfer Park. Since October 2022, an installation of rubble stones by Vera Drebusch and Reto Buser commemorates this time.
Today, Thörls Park offers a variety of features. There is a playground and a dog exercise area. Also, explore the artwork “Große Panthea” by Wilhelm Ohm. Near the park’s southwestern end, two separate underground shelters from 1968 exist.
Notably, Thörls Park is part of the Landschaftsachse Horner Geest project. This connects various parks into a 9km long park-landscape. Studio Animal-Aided Design collaborated with Polinna Hauck Landscape + Urbanism GbR. Their goal was to enhance wildlife experiences. For instance, they created ‘bat loungers’. These make the sounds of bats audible in the area.
Take a moment to appreciate the blend of history and nature here. Thörls Park is a testament to Hamburg’s resilience. It shows its commitment to creating spaces for both people and wildlife.