Kaiser Wilhelm I’s hunting grounds. That’s what this place used to be. Welcome to the Vogelschutzgebiet am Wildmeisterdamm. This 3.75-hectare haven wasn’t always a bird sanctuary.
In 1872 Wildmeister Hugo Luther created this forest. It served as a royal hunting reserve. Imagine yearly hunts. Up to 1000 hares and 900 pheasants were killed. Wilhelm I was so pleased. He made Luther a royal gamekeeper. He even renamed Buckower Chaussee to Wildmeisterdamm in 1939 after Luther’s death.
But times changed. By the 1920s and 1930s the area’s hunting value decreased. Increasing settlement reduced wildlife. Hunting in Berlin ended completely in 1945.
However the Vogelschutzgebiet am Wildmeisterdamm’s story didn’t end there. Wilhelm Schmidt the later head of Neukölln’s local museum had a different vision. Since 1929 he campaigned to protect this area. In 1934 his efforts paid off. The area became a bird sanctuary. In 1952 Berlin’s police president Johannes Stumm added another layer of protection. It officially became a landscape protection area.
The construction of the Berlin Wall significantly impacted the Vogelschutzgebiet am Wildmeisterdamm. The GDR insisted the Neukölln-Mittenwalder railway line be moved west. This required extensive tree felling. Further changes happened with the construction of Sollmannweg and Friedrich-Kayssler-Weg. U-Bahn line 7 construction also affected the area. The Gropiusstadt development integrated the land into its plans.
In 1987 landscapers Müller Knippschild and Wehberg redesigned the area. They transformed it into a landscape park to improve the living environment. Fencing was added. This prevented trampling and soil compaction. It also encouraged the growth of natural undergrowth and herbs. The Vogelschutzgebiet am Wildmeisterdamm became a tranquil green space within the bustling city. Today it’s part of Neukölln’s garden culture trail. Its history is a mix of hunting imperial ambition conservation and urban development. Today it’s a haven for birds and a testament to perseverance. Enjoy the peace and beauty of the Vogelschutzgebiet am Wildmeisterdamm.