Welcome to the Hirschhof—a truly special place right in the heart of Prenzlauer Berg. What looks today like a perfectly ordinary courtyard was, in the 1980s, a symbol of civic engagement and creativity within the GDR. The site was formerly home to a precision engineering factory, which was destroyed during the Second World War. For decades, the courtyard lay derelict—a trash-strewn expanse littered with rubble—until, in 1982, a group of dedicated local residents joined forces to create something new.
They founded an initiative and, entirely through their own efforts, transformed the site into a vibrant green space—complete with playgrounds, greenery, and artworks. Surprisingly, the GDR authorities allowed the project to proceed—and even supported it with public funding. Thus, the Hirschhof was born, named after a striking, colorful metal sculpture of a stag that stood over two meters tall. Artists such as Anatol Erdmann and Hans Scheib contributed to its design.
The courtyard quickly became a popular meeting place—not only for families but also for the alternative scene. Concerts, readings, and small theatrical performances were held here—right in the middle of a courtyard, right in the middle of the GDR. It was a rare kind of open space.
After reunification, much changed. The properties were sold, and a portion of the courtyard was privatized. For years, the association K12 and other initiatives strove to preserve the site’s public character. Lengthy legal battles ensued, but in 2011, the Federal Court of Justice ruled that the Hirschhof was private property—and that the fences could remain in place.
That same year, a “new Hirschhof” was established on Oderberger Straße—a public playground featuring a wooden stag and water features, serving as a tribute to the original project. The old complex was partially preserved; some artworks and stones are currently stored in depots. Thanks to the initiative of SelbstBau e.G. and the Swiss Edith Maryon Foundation, important parts of the building complex were saved and protected from sale.
Hirschhof
Aus dem Audiowalk Berlin Like You’ve Never Heard It Before – True Stories & Secrets
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Andere Stationen in dieser Audiotour:
A Brief Excursion into Berlin's History (7:59 min) • St. Nicholas' Church / St. Nicholas' Quarter (2:49 min) • Newspaper District (4:28 min) • Checkpoint Charlie (1:55 min) • Former Gestapo Headquarters (2:57 min) • Former Tempelhof Airport (3:46 min) • 7 Wannsee Conference (4:45 min) • Walther Rathenau Memorial (2:34 min) • Olympic Stadium / 1936 Olympic Games (5:36 min) • Commune 1 (2:27 min) • Benno Ohnesorg / Student Movement (2:16 min) • Rolf Eden (1:54 min) • Café Kranzler (2:08 min) • Kurfürstendamm (3:03 min) • Zoo Palace (3:47 min) • Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (2:22 min) • Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg (3:28 min) • Schöneberg Town Hall (2:33 min) • Former Sportpalast / Sportpalast Speech (5:12 min) • Bendlerblock/Stauffenberg assassination attempt (4:47 min) • Kroll Opera House / Enabling Act (3:09 min) • Reichstag Building (4:14 min) • Reichstag Fire (4:28 min) • Brandenburg Gate (2:52 min) • People's Court (3:08 min) • Potsdamer Place (2:58 min) • Former "Führerbunker" (5:06 min) • "Tresor" (Safe) (1:43 min) • Popular Uprising in the GDR (2:11 min) • Reich Chancellery / Hitler's Seizure of Power (5:11 min) • "Die weiße Maus" (The White Mouse) (2:57 min) • Friedrichstraße Station / "Tränenpalast" (Palace of Tears) (3:46 min) • Humboldt University (1:56 min) • Berlin Palace (5:04 min) • Red City Hall (2:30 min) • Alexanderplatz (2:30 min) • Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind / Anne Frank Center (2:05 min) • Hackesche Höfe (5:21 min) • Rosenthaler Platz (2:58 min) • St. Sophia's Church (3:03 min) • Sophie-Gips Courtyards (2:08 min) • Koppenplatz (3:16 min) • Clärchen's Dance Hall (3:54 min) • New Synagogue (2:19 min) • Berliner Ensemble (3:55 min) • Friedrichstadt-Palast (4:02 min) • Dorotheenstadt Cemetery (2:25 min) • Bloody May (2:18 min) • Humboldthain Flak Tower (5:17 min) • Chris Gueffroy and the Victims of the Wall (1:28 min) • Tunnel 57 / Egon Schultz (2:40 min) • AMIGA (1:37 min) • Bernauer Street (4:07 min) • Former Bornholmer Straße Border Crossing (3:26 min) • Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sports Park (3:43 min) • Mauerpark (4:07 min) • Arkonaplatz (3:03 min) • Zion Church (3:44 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Fire Station (3:18 min) • Freya Klier (2:28 min) • Prater (2:28 min) • Oderberger Straße Municipal Baths (3:36 min) • Oderberger Street 2 (1:58 min) • Currywurst (2:16 min) • Konnopke's Snack Bar (2:43 min) • Gethsemane Church (2:09 min) • Museum in the Kulturbrauerei (1:06 min) • Kulturbrauerei (3:24 min) • Frannz-Club (2:31 min) • Husemann Street (1:58 min) • Jews' Passage (3:32 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Water Tower (2:37 min) • Rosa Luxemburg Square (4:34 min) • Mont Klamott (1:43 min) • Samaritan Church (2:23 min) • Former Stasi Headquarters / Stasi Museum (2:48 min) • Berlin-Karlshorst Museum / Unconditional Surrender (2:54 min) • East Side Gallery (2:59 min) • House Squatting in the 1980s (2:34 min)
