Beelitz-Heilstätten Chirurgie
THE ABANDONED HOSPITAL IN GERMANY
This is the ‘Beelitz-Heilstätten Chirurgie’ building. It was the surgery of lung sanatorium ‘Beelitz-Heilstätten’ in Germany.
This lung hospital and sanatorium was built between 1898 and 1930 in forests around Beelitz. The site was huge and one of the biggest hospitals of its kind. This surgery building was built in 1928 during the third building period. Also a new building for the central laundry was built in the area of the woman sanatorium. The Chirurgie was built after the idea that the surgery area should be separated from the other buildings, where patients were recovering. Surgery of tuberculosis was a rather radical solution for people that did not responded to conventional treatments.
The remainder of the complex, including the surgery, the psychiatric ward, and a rifle range, was abandoned in 1994. Some sections of the hospital remain in operation as a neurological rehabilitation center and as a center for research and care for victims of Parkinsons disease. As of 2007, none of the abandoned hospital buildings or the surrounding area were secured, giving the area the feel of a ghost town. This has made Beelitz-Heilstätten a destination for curious visitors. Also the site was in use as a film set for movies like The Pianist from 2002 and Valkyrie from 2008.
Some sections of the hospital remain in operation as a neurological rehabilitation center and as a center for research and care for victims of Parkinsons disease. I visited the ‘Beelitz-Heilstätten Chirurgie’ in 2008.
