# Spreepark

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{{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](/source/Pl%C3%A4nterwald), [Germany](/source/Germany) ([East Germany](/source/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](/source/amusement_park) in the north of the [Plänterwald](/source/Pl%C3%A4nterwald) in the [Berlin](/source/Berlin) district [Treptow-Köpenick](/source/Treptow-K%C3%B6penick) (formerly part of the [GDR](/source/East_Germany)-controlled [East Berlin](/source/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](/source/Pl%C3%A4nterwald), next to the river [Spree](/source/Spree_(river)). It was the only constant entertainment park in [East Germany](/source/East_Germany), and the only such park in either East or West Berlin.{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}}

===1989–2001 – Spreepark Berlin===
The [VEB](/source/Volkseigener_Betrieb) Kulturpark Berlin was de-nationalized in 1991, after [East and West Germany were reunified](/source/Reunification_of_Germany), by the municipal authorities of Berlin. There were seven applicants to run the park; the company Spreepark Berlin [GmbH](/source/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](/source/Deutsche_Mark), children: 27 DM) covering all individual attractions was charged, instead of visitors paying for each individual [ride](/source/Amusement_ride) as before.{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}}

The asphalted surface around the [Ferris wheel](/source/Ferris_wheel) was taken up and converted into a water landscape. [Roller coasters](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Containerization).<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](/source/Hanna_(film))'' 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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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]

{{Authority control}}

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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Spreepark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreepark) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spreepark?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.