the Johannisthal Airfield (today: Johannisthal/Adlershof) was opened with an international aviation week in 1909
Hans Grade won the “Lanz-Preis der Lüfte” award in his “Grade monoplane”
It is this that marks the first successful powered flight in Germany
Johannisthal then rapidly developed into a hub for Germany’s aviation industry
Amelie Hedwig (Melli) Boutard-Beese was the first woman in Germany to receive a pilot’s license on 13 September 1911
Count von Zeppelin initiated the founding of the German Research Institute for Aviation (Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt
aircraft manufacturing soared in Johannisthal
The largest manufacturers were the Albatros-Werke
The site became the most important hub for Germany’s air force rearmament
approximately one in three German military planes were produced by Johannisthal-based companies and their branch factories
an aircraft of the German Aeronautical Company (Deutsche Luft-Reederei
DLR) embarked on Germany’s first scheduled passenger flight (bound for Weimar)
aeronautical research came to a virtual standstill because of the terms laid out in the Treaty of Versailles
It was later revived (with considerable limitations) as of 1922
the site became a major location for producing feature films
Berlin-Johannisthal saw the first model of BMW’s legendary “Dixi” car roll off the factory line
More than 2,100 people worked there in 1944
Adlershof was home to the research and development personnel of many large aerospace companies
One of Berlin’s largest forced labour camps is close to the DVL and to the Johannisthal Airfield
Prisoners of war and concentration camp prisoners were used for building shelters and producing missile parts
The first Soviet expert group arrived in Adlershof as early as 29 April 1945 and immediately began inspecting the research facilities
the DVL was turned into the central Soviet collecting point for Germany’s modern aerospace and missile technologies
and weapons prototypes were collected and some of them tested in Adlershof before being shipped off to the Soviet Union
Adlershof’s technical facilities were disassembled and also transferred to the USSR
Air traffic lost importance after 1946 and was stopped completely in 1954
the German Academy of the Sciences (formerly the Prussian Academy of the Sciences) was refounded at the behest of the Soviet occupation forces (and renamed into Academy of the Sciences of the GDR in 1972)
Adlershof developed into a large-scale research hub for the natural sciences
The East German television broadcasting company went on the air in 1952
a large barracks area for the guard regiment of the Ministry for State Security (since 1967: Guard Regiment “Feliks Dzierzynski”) was set up on the former airfield in the years after 1954
East Germany made contributions to Interkosmos
Sigmund Jähn was the first German to fly into space on the Soviet space shuttle Sojus 31 bound for the space station Saljut
A hyperspectral camera made in Adlershof was on board with him
Adlershof became home to the Institute of Cosmos Research (IKF)
The decision to develop an “integrated landscape of science and business” in Adlershof was mainly about building new economic structures
It was clear at the time that this could only be done in a science and research environment
Adlershof became a project that was carried by a broad political consensus
it was not only about salvaging its economic heritage but also about creating a new economic foundation for itself
synergies between science and private enterprises
and about developing university campus culture
The non-university research institutions were repeatedly evaluated
In 1997, Humboldt-University (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
HU) decided to move its mathematics and natural science faculties to Adlershof
The move added a major scientific pillar to the site
While rich in tradition and located in Berlin’s downtown district
the HU’s buildings and equipment in Berlin’s did not stand up to comparison with West Berlin’s universities
which is a prerequisite for cooperation in research and teaching
what the site in Adlershof was missing to develop an integrated landscape of science and business was proximity to a university
the decision to move was an opportunity as much as a challenge
the area was connected to the A113 motorway
and other commercial properties on both sides of Groß-Berliner Damm were integrated into the overall development plan for Adlershof
The extension of the tram line went into operation in 2010
the new S-Bahn train station Adlershof above the widened Rudower Chaussee was opened
Progress was made on “Living on Campus” project
In 2012, three large manufacturers of solar modules filed for insolvency in 2012. The Science and Technology Park continued to grow despite this, both in the high-tech sector as well as the media industry. The newest technology centre was the Centre for Photovoltaics and Renewable Energies (ZPV) in 2013
It is home to a total of 8,000 m² of production
and office space for companies working in the field of “photovoltaics and renewable energies”
a university housing community with 386 dormitories and guest rooms
the many new buildings and companies gave the Adlershof site an increasingly urban feel
enhancing its attractiveness as a place to live
Many of the CEOs who founded companies in the 1990s were starting to look for successors
The year 2016 marked the launch of Adlershof’s first accelerator
bringing together start-ups with established companies
The company Innovations-Zentrum Berlin Management GmbH (IZBM) was integrated into WISTA
annual revenues of the Science and Technology Park Adlershof hit 2 billion euros for the first time ever
about 3,800 people lived in the two new residential areas (“Living on Campus” and “Living at the Landscaped Park”)
the German Institute for Economic Research
the site triggered an employment effect of 30,000 people
2019 marked the completion of several large-scale construction projects on Rudower Chaussee
The keys were handed over for the new building of Berlin and Brandenburg’s state laboratory
and the “Allianz Campus Berlin” celebrated its opening the same year – as well as the Europa Center AG office building at Forum Adlershof
The Science and Technology Park’s companies view themselves as well-prepared to participate in tackling the so-called Grand Challenges of the future (climate change
The revitalisation of the “Gleislinse” area has started to take shape
The area between the Johannisthal S-Bahn station (formerly named “Betriebsbahnhof Schöneweide”) and Groß-Berliner Damm began offering new commercial properties across 33 hectares
Many new commercial businesses set up shop there in 2020
The S-Bahn station “Betriebsbahnhof Schöneweide” was renamed into “Johannisthal”
Construction has begun on the tram line extension from Karl-Ziegler-Straße via Hermann-Dorner-Allee and Groß-Berliner Damm to the Schöneweide S-Bahn station
The completion of the “Living on Campus I” project created additional residential properties in Adlershof
The coronavirus pandemic has also affected Adlershof-based companies
face the crisis with confidence and are committed to the fight against the virus
more news about the history
The development of the Science and Technology Park Berlin Adlershof was and is co-financed by the European Union namely by EFRE. This concerns infrastructure development like construction of technology centres. Furthermore EFRE is used for international projects.
© HG EschOutdoor facilitiesThe outdoor areas of the campus create a variety of opportunities for work and recreation. The extensive green spaces act as a connecting element between the buildings and ensure harmony between nature and architecture. The inner courtyards are landscaped and can be used in a variety of ways.
the technical equipment and the energy concept fulfil the highest ecological and economic standards
The project was awarded gold certification by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB)
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The sound installation AIR BORNE consists of 15 resonant bodies spread across the grassy area of Aerodynamic Park in the form of shiny
the spatial sound structure they generate -consisting of shorter louder signals and long quieter whispering sounds - produces a complete composition which will remain in place for around four years
The idea is to arouse associations with the history of aviation and the former Adlershof soundscape in passers-by
After the first German airfield was opened in Johannisthal-Adlershof in 1909
the site developed into an important centre of aviation research in the 1930s
This also gave rise to the wind tunnels and engine test facilities that are preserved today
read more
Josefine Günschel was born in in Hanover in 1960. Between 1981-1985 she attended to State Drawing Academy in in Hanau. She focuses on site-specific and kinetic installations, as well as ‘percent for art’ projects.
Margund Smolka was born in in Kiel in 1958. From 1981, she studied liberal arts at the College of Fine Arts in Braunschweig. She graduated with an M.A. in 1987. Movement is an essential element of her artistic work.
at the Tanzcafé you can put on your dancing shoes and help see these effects take place
anyone can volunteer for an afternoon boogie at these special cafés
Dance School at Silesian Gate, Pfuelstraße 5, 10997 Berlin, Germany
Senior Center Caroline Bertheau, Schönwalder Allee 26, 13587 Berlin, Germany
Municipal Hall of the Ev. Luther, Bülowstraße 71-72, 10783 Berlin, Germany
Kiezclub Rathaus Johannisthal, Sterndamm 102, 12487 Berlin, Germany
Couple ballroom dancing | © werner22brigitte/Pixabay
and there are a multitude of programs for volunteers to take part in throughout the year
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Give Something Back to Berlin at Sharehaus Refugio, Lenaustraße 4, 12047, Berlin, Germany
Klunkerkranich, Karl-Marx-Straße 66, Auf dem Parkdeck der Neukölln Arcaden, 12043 Berlin, Germany
Flughafen Tempelhof, Platz der Luftbrücke 5, 12101 Berlin, Germany
Urban Gardening at Klunkerkranich | © Andreas Lehner/Flickr
American Church in Berlin, Dennewitzplatz 1, 10783 Berlin, Germany
Language swap Give Something Back to Berlin runs two language swaps, in English and German, at Refugio Café in Neukölln
They offer free language learning via meet-ups
which provide a chance for newcomers to practice their language skills in a social setting
Some partner off with regular tandem partners
while others make friends by chatting in groups targeted at their language level
They’re always eager to involve native German and English speakers to help students of all levels
volunteers can simply turn up to Sharehaus Refugio’s café on Wednesdays from 5:30 pm for German exchange and Tuesdays from 6 pm for English
GSBTB also offers an additional English language swap every Wednesday from 6 pm at ImmobilienScout24
Sharehaus Refugio, Lenaustraße 4, 12047, Berlin, Germany
ImmobilienScout24, Andreasstraße, 10243 Berlin, Germany
Refugio Café | © Alice Dundon/ Courtesy of Alice Dundon
Karl-Heinrich-Ulrichs-Straße, 10785 Berlin, Germany
Am Kiesteich 50, 13589 Berlin, Germany
Oldenburgallee, 14052 Berlin, Germany
Wasgenstraße 49, 14129 Berlin, Germany
Seehofstraße 1, 14169 Berlin, Germany
Siethener Str. 11, 14974 Ludwigsfelde, Germany
Prenzlauer Berg, Bezirk Pankow, 10405 Berlin, Germany
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