Fancy this a green retreat amid urban development. That is Wiese Mitte Altona. It is a park in the heart of Hamburg’s Altona district. This wasn’t always a park. The area was once part of a railway junction. It was full of tracks and freight yards.
Now, let’s dive into how this transformation happened. The New Center Altona project aimed to reorganize Hamburg-Altona’s railway system. The Hamburg-Altona terminus station closed. The S-Bahn station Diebsteich expanded. It became a long-distance railway station. This released large areas of track. These areas became available for urban development. This included the station Altona itself. It also included the former freight yard and railway depot.
The urban development project was led by ECE Projektmanagement. They followed plans by Hamburg architect Andrè Poitiers. Deutsche Bahn managed the transport aspects. The planning approval came at the end of 2017. Construction started in the summer of 2018. However, the Verkehrsclub Deutschland raised objections. They filed a lawsuit against the project. In August 2018, the Federal Administrative Court granted an urgent application from VCD. By February 2020, a compromise was reached. The VCD withdrew its lawsuit.
Historically, these new construction areas were part of Ottensen. Back in 1844, the first railway facilities appeared here. They belonged to the “König-Christian-VIII-Ostseebahn”. The construction of the connecting railway in 1865 linked Altona and Schulterblatt. In 1866, it extended to Klosterthor in Hamburg. This created a large rail triangle. It sat to the left of Ottensener Harkortstrasse. The area became known as “Neu Land” and “In de Reien”. After 1890, the area expanded for freight transport. The land eventually fell under Reich and Federal control.
Since the mid-1990s, there were discussions to relocate the Altona station. The idea was to move it 1.5 kilometers north. This would place it near the Diebsteich S-Bahn stop. This offered an opportunity for a new east-west road connection. The Hamburg Senate decided to investigate the redesign of Altona in December 2007. In 2010, a competition was launched. The goal was to develop ideas for the district’s transformation. The winning design in November 2010 proposed moving Altona station to Diebsteich. The freed-up space would be used for other construction.
The Park Mitte Altona is central to the Mitte Altona district. The first phase of the park opened in 2019. It covers about three hectares. It is a rather small park. Seven-story residential blocks surround it. The stripped steel frame of a former freight hall is an architectural landmark.
Deutsche Bahn planned to relocate the long-distance and regional station by 2023. The new station would be a through station with eight tracks. Six tracks would serve long-distance and regional trains. Two tracks would be for the S-Bahn. A three-story reception building was planned. The project aimed to renew railway facilities and relieve Hamburg Central Station. The old track facilities were originally scheduled for removal by 2025.
So, as you stroll through Wiese Mitte Altona remember its layered history. This green space represents renewal. It shows how urban spaces evolve. It balances progress with quality of life.