{{Short description|Former amusement park in Berlin, Germany}} {{More citations needed|date=September 2016}} {{Infobox amusement park | name = Spreepark | image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1985-0404-021, Berlin, Kulturpark Plänterwald, Riesenrad.jpg | image_size = 200px | caption = Spreepark Ferris wheel in 1985 | resort = Plänterwald, Germany (East Germany 1969-1990) | location = Berlin | location2 = | location3 = Germany | coordinates = {{Coord|52|29|09|N|13|29|16|E|display=it|region:DE-BE_type:landmark_source:dewiki}} | theme = | homepage = http://www.spreepark.de/ | owner = | general_manager = | operator = | opening_date = {{Start date|df=y|1969}} | closing_date = {{Start date|df=y|2002}} | previous_names = | season = | visitors = | area = | rides = | coasters = | water_rides = | footnotes = | slogan = | status = Closed }} '''Spreepark''' is a former amusement park in the north of the Plänterwald in the Berlin district Treptow-Köpenick (formerly part of the GDR-controlled East Berlin). It was also known by its earlier name '''Kulturpark Plänterwald Berlin'''.

==History== 240px|thumb|The Ferris wheel in 2017

===1969–1989 – Kulturpark Plänterwald=== The entertainment park was opened in 1969 as Kulturpark Plänterwald, covering an area of 29.5 hectares. The area is situated in the north of the Plänterwald, next to the river Spree. It was the only constant entertainment park in East Germany, and the only such park in either East or West Berlin.{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}}

===1989–2001 – Spreepark Berlin=== The VEB Kulturpark Berlin was de-nationalized in 1991, after East and West Germany were reunified, by the municipal authorities of Berlin. There were seven applicants to run the park; the company Spreepark Berlin GmbH received the contract. Crucially, the references of Norbert Witte of the company were not properly checked.{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}}

Under the Spreepark GmbH, new attractions were added and visitor numbers reached 1.5 million per annum. Later, the concept was changed, and the park was gradually transformed into a more Western-style amusement park. An entrance fee (adults: 29 DM, children: 27 DM) covering all individual attractions was charged, instead of visitors paying for each individual ride as before.{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}}

The asphalted surface around the Ferris wheel was taken up and converted into a water landscape. Roller coasters, two game water courses, a stage, a Western town and an English village were later added to the park.{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}}

From 1999 the park had large debts. An increase in the admission fee to 30&nbsp;DM per person and the lack of parking contributed to a drop in visitor numbers, until, in 2001, only 400,000 visitors entered the park.{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}} In 2001, Spreepark GmbH announced that they were insolvent.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Kutz|first1=Jens Peter|title=Spreepark: Berlin's Sleeping Beauty|url=https://www.failedarchitecture.com/spreepark/|website=Failed Architecture|date=14 July 2014 |accessdate=9 January 2018}}</ref>

===After 2002=== On 18 January 2002, Norbert Witte, together with his family and closest coworkers, moved to Lima, Peru. The authorities permitted them to ship six attractions (Fliegender Teppich, Butterfly, Spider, Baby-Flug, Wild River, and Jet Star), ostensibly for repair, in 20 shipping containers.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Oltermann|first1=Philip|title=Save the dinosaur: the rollercoaster story of East Berlin's forgotten theme park|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jan/07/spreepark-east-berlin-forgotten-theme-park-rollercoaster-story|website=The Guardian|accessdate=19 January 2018|date=7 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Spreepark: Disney World of Socialism|url=https://sometimes-interesting.com/2015/04/30/spreepark-disney-world-of-socialism/|website=Sometimes Interesting|accessdate=19 January 2018|date=30 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=King|first1=Aurora|title=Last Days of Berlin's Abandoned Spreepark|url=http://creosotejournal.com/2014/07/last-days-of-berlins-abandoned-spreepark/|website=Creosote Journal|accessdate=19 January 2018|date=4 July 2014}}</ref>

Since 2002, the park has not opened for visitors; in August 2002 it was declared insolvent. Debts at a level of €11,000,000 remained, and the area was allowed to fall into disrepair. The Ferris wheel was dismantled in 2021 and the parts kept for potential re-use.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Redevelopment of the Ferris Wheel|url=https://www.spreepark.berlin/en/development/construction-measures/redevelopment-ferris-wheel/|website=Spreepark|accessdate=30 July 2022}}</ref> The remains of other attractions are still on the site.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Aitmain|title=Spreepark|url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/spreepark|website=Atlas Obscura|accessdate=9 January 2018}}</ref>

In 2011, a scene for the action film ''Hanna'' was filmed at the park,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://movies.about.com/od/hanna/a/joe-wright-interview.htm|title = Peregrym Stars as a Former Gymnast Who's Forced into a World She Gave up}}</ref> as well as the music video for the single "Run Dry" by German band Sizarr.<ref>[http://vimeo.com/61613766 Official video on the Vimeo channel of directors Tim Main & Joe Dixon]</ref>

Norbert Witte failed in his attempt to run a "Lunapark" in Lima. On 19 May 2004, he was sentenced to seven years in jail for attempting to smuggle 180&nbsp;kg of cocaine with a value of £14&nbsp;million from Peru to Germany in the masts of the Fliegender Teppich (Flying Carpet) ride.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article1017326.ece The week that was: World - Times Online<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In October 2006, a Peruvian court sentenced Wittes' son, Marcel Witte, to 20 years for drug smuggling.

After 2011, guided tours were offered to the public at restricted times.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.berliner-spreepark.de/events/spreepark-fuehrung |title=Spreepark-Führung |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113062113/http://www.berliner-spreepark.de/events/spreepark-fuehrung |archive-date=January 13, 2014 |language=German }}</ref>

In March 2014, the City of Berlin bought the Spreepark, and guided tours ended.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Jens Anker |author2=Florentine Anders |url=http://www.morgenpost.de/berlin-aktuell/article126238138/Berlin-kauft-Spreepark-fuer-zwei-Millionen-Euro-zurueck.html |title=Berlin kauft Spreepark für zwei Millionen Euro zurück |newspaper=Berliner Morgenpost |date=26 March 2014 |language=German }}</ref> On the evening of 10 August 2014, major parts of the park were destroyed in a fire. Reports indicated that firefighters discovered two blazes 200&nbsp;m apart that soon merged, suggesting that the fires might have been deliberately set.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thelocal.de/20140811/abandoned-berlin-theme-spree-park-burned-down |title=Abandoned Berlin theme park burned down |date=11 August 2014| website=The local.de |accessdate=8 December 2019 }}</ref>

The city chose Grün Berlin to restore the park, with a plan presented to the public in 2018 to restore it with an overlay of cultural and ecological content.<ref>{{cite news |author=Ade Adepitan |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-50689515/restoring-the-theme-park-abandoned-for-20-years |title=Restoring the theme park abandoned for 20 years |publisher=BBC News |date=9 December 2019 |type=video, 2&nbsp;mins 2&nbsp;sec. }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://gruen-berlin.de/en/spreepark |title=Spreepark |website=Grün Berlin |accessdate=9 December 2019 |archive-date=9 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209153319/https://gruen-berlin.de/en/spreepark |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Gallery== <gallery> Image:Berlin Spreepark UAV 04-2017 img5.jpg|Aerial view with ferris wheel Berlin Spreepark UAV 04-2017 img3.jpg|Ferris wheel, detail Berlin Spreepark UAV 04-2017 img4.jpg|Ferris wheel, detail Image:Treptower rollercoaster.jpg|SpreeBlitz Image:Treptower_swans.jpg|Swan ride Image:Treptower_boat.jpg|Pirate ship Image:Euroloop Europark 2.JPG|Mega Looping Bahn at Europark </gallery>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * {{cite book |author1=Sacha Szabo |author2=Christopher Flade |title=Vom 'Kulturpark Berlin' zum 'Spreepark Plänterwald': Eine VergnügungskulTOUR durch den berühmten Berliner Freizeitpark |location=Marburg |publisher=Tectum |year=2011 |series=Studien zur Unterhaltungswissenschaft |volume=4 |isbn=9783828827486 |language=German }}

==External links== {{Commons|Spreepark}} * [https://berliner-spreepark.de/ Berliner Spreepark.de], historical and fan site {{in lang|de}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20190831222910/http://spreepark.de/ Spreepark.de], another historical site, archived on 31 August 2019 {{in lang|de}} * https://web.archive.org/web/20070320221101/http://www.kulturpark.net/ * http://urbexsession.com/en/spreepark/ * http://www.permakultur-zentrum-berlin.de/ * http://urbanexploration.nl/spreepark.php * [http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1272 Showdown in Spreepark] on Resident Advisor * [https://www.obsidianurbexphotography.com/leisure/spreepark/ Obsidian Urbex Photography | Photos and information] (in English) * https://berlinblog.dk/2018/03/27/den-forladte-forlystelsespark-spreepark/ {{in lang|da}} * [https://horror-world.com/spreepark-berlin/ Dread and Circuses: The Sad Story Of Spreepark Berlin]

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Category:Amusement parks in Germany Category:Buildings and structures in Treptow-Köpenick Category:1969 establishments in East Germany Category:Defunct amusement parks in Germany Category:Amusement parks opened in 1969 Category:Amusement parks closed in 2002 Category:2002 disestablishments in Germany Category:Modern ruins