either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Several Tesla vehicles were set on fire in Germany on Friday, as protests against Elon Musk's car company continue across the world German police said that four vehicles were set ablaze in the Plänterwald and Steglitz neighborhoods of Berlin and that political motives could not be ruled out Tesla sites have been targeted by protesters around the world following Musk's appointment as head of the Department of Government Efficiency in President Donald Trump's administration The electric car company has also faced a waning stock price in recent weeks with many attributing the decline to Musk's close association with Trump The first car fire was reported at 1.40 a.m with the subsequent car fires being reported throughout the night German police said that no one was injured in the fires but that all four vehicles were left entirely unusable Five other vehicles near the fires were also slightly damaged Berlin police said that a "political motive" could not be ruled out and that the State Security Division of the Berlin State Criminal Police Office had taken over the investigation The unit investigates threats to the state Germany has seen a number of anti-Musk protests in the wake of his endorsement of the far-right AfD party ahead of the country's general election in February An image of Musk making a controversial salute following Trump's inauguration was projected onto Tesla's Gigafactory in Berlin in January. The display featured Musk's gesture alongside the words "Heil Tesla." Berlin Police said in a report on the fires: "As yet unknown perpetrators set fire to a total of four Tesla electric cars in Plänterwald and Steglitz last night Since a political motive cannot be ruled out the State Security Division of the Berlin State Criminal Police Office has taken over the ongoing investigation." German authorities will continue to investigate the fires A motive for the incident has not yet been confirmed Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all Visual Arts Reviews Lynne Marsh: PlaterwaldAt the Or Gallery until October 12 the camera glides and hovers over broken-down rides Traces of human enterprise are disappearing into the encroaching shrubs Thick moss overgrows paving stones and pale-green algae covers the surface of a stagnant pond Plänterwald is a poetic meditation on what Lynne Marsh describes as “a state of indeterminacy and latency” is talking to the Straight as she finalizes the installation of her engrossing video projection It was shot in 2009 in an abandoned amusement park in Berlin a place Marsh first encountered by chance while bicycling around that city Her curiosity about the site and subsequent research revealed that it had operated successfully in the former German Democratic Republic and languishes now in a condition of “suspension” caught in a legal and financial impasse between city and business interests It has been neither repaired nor redeveloped The only people admitted are security guards who seem to be protecting people from the collapsing and potentially dangerous park as much as securing it against potentially destructive people Because of its association with East German life before the collapse of communism Marsh sees the place as “a monument to a failed project” Although the video is on a loop and has no titles hovering shots of tree tops and thick foliage as if we were alone in a fairy-tale forest Pale grey-blue sky peaks through the leaves and ambient roar of the unseen city outside the park walls This roar becomes startlingly amplified when the camera dips into subterranean passages beneath metal tracks or nudges through the workings of some ruined machinery Occasionally we hear the whistle of a nearby factory and the loud alarm-bell sounds of a security guard dragging a rod or stick across a metal fence silent Ferris wheel standing in an overgrown field a tank filled with garbage and dirty water uniformed security personnel walk around the grounds or stand stiffly amid the collapse and dereliction They’re like the guardians of a ruined civilization Although it’s possible to read either nostalgia for a lost past or warning of an apocalyptic future into Plänterwald Marsh is more interested in the current state of the park Her descriptive camera work captures the “present-dayness” of the site its right-now suspension between a communist yesterday and a postcapitalist tomorrow Your hair was short-cropped and dyed orange This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page We recently posted about Michigan’s Prehistoric Forest a dilapidated amusement park full of decaying fiberglass dinosaurs Berlin has its own defunct dinosaur funland – the Spreepark – which fell on hard times after the collapse of communism https://gizmodo.com/michigans-abandoned-dinosaur-amusement-park-is-way-cree-5525873 The Spreepark may be closed to the public*, but that doesn’t stop intrepid photogs from hopping the fence and exploring Spreepark’s derelict who was released from prison in 2008 and now lives on the park grounds like a Scooby Doo bad guy Thanks to io9 reader and Berliner Sebastian for the tip That’s highway robbery for a bankrupt theme park You better get to bring home a tetanus-trap bumper car for that price [via breakdennis’ Flickr and Gonzo Circus. Photo montage via Kriz Mental.] ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " kulturpark is a collaborative project– a public art installation developed to explore an abandoned amusement park in east berlin through a public investigation of the nature of the theme park ruins the creative team aspires to put in place several large-scale site-specific art installations to reinvigorate the space ‘kulturpark plänterwald’ was originally constructed in 1969 by the GDR along the spree river as an idyllic site for mid 20th century family-leisure and was the only of its kind in east germany the park was a cherished destination for school children visiting berlin from other eastern bloc countries the woodland amusement park was privatized and renamed ‘spreepark’ and also declared a nature sanctuary spreepark remained open to the public until financial collapse in 2001 ‘an online archive will share this public research on the park’s past the curators wander through the over grown park kulturpark has extended an open invitation to the world-wide artistic community to participate in the collaborative effort of the park’s revival for the month of june social and political environment is hosting three creative conferences through which the public may collectively conceive of the re-invigoration of the dilapidated park to take place from the 1st to 21st of june will bring together the visionary team to begin the development of the park’s new interior aesthetic projects and research for all artistic groups interested in the implications of this public-space reclamation beginning the 22nd of june and ending on the 1st of july the team and artists of kulturpark open the carnival landscape to the public for a two-day conference and additional two-day civic exchange beginning the 28th of june and ending the 1st of july and place makers from the urban art institute will create an urban plan for the former kulturpark plänterwald amusement park the team hopes to reinvigorate the area with site-specific creative installations enacted upon the some-time stagnant space the organization has launched a kickstarter campaign to support the massive public art installation every facet of the park seems to be both frozen in time while also ready to be artistically utilized the old race-horse ride ‘kentucky ride’ is obscured by greenery AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style Photo Gallery: Berlin's Abandoned Spreepark though it's been a long while since it swallowed people whole Trees and bushes have grown over the old roller coaster with the open-mouthed tunnel and the plants are doing what others have failed to do so far -- slowly getting rid of the old rides at Berlin's defunct Spreepark It's an amusement park locked in a deep slumber But according to Sabrina Witte as she knocks on the steel tracks: "The electrical system just needs to be redone." Witte is guiding tourists from New York and German families who are nostalgic for socialist East Germany Witte leads tours around former East Berlin's only amusement park She and her siblings used to pull the electric cars off their tracks and race them through the park after closing time They also turned up the speed on the white-water ride at night "They just need an investor," one visitor says It's a complicated story for which no one wants to take responsibility and one which involves dreams that were lost somewhere in a tangle of city regulations a family of carnival workers from West Germany that was tasked with turning a former East German fairground into an amusement park up to western standards after reunification in 1989 The head of the company is Sabrina's father The leasing contract for the 30-hectare (74-acre) piece of property was under his wife Pia's name The agreement with the city-state of Berlin states that the land may only be used as an amusement park until 2061 The father was sentenced to eight years in prison and released after serving four where he is serving a 20-year sentence for the same crime Norbert Witte lives in a caravan in the Spreepark a snack counter run by his daughter on the grounds Holding a black coffee in one hand and a cigarillo in the other he ignores comments by two girls and their parents about a papier mâché gorilla behind him and talks about what the Spreepark used to be like the Spreepark had the biggest roller coaster in Europe and there was a Wild West town with stunt shows and tons of new investment He's a man who likes to talk in superlatives But then things started going downhill quickly for the business Witte feels that he has been hoodwinked by politicians He claims that the city-state of Berlin retroactively declared the forested land around the amusement park part of a nature-conservation area but city officials refuse to discuss the contractual relationships we wouldn't have ever invested here," Witte says There was nothing about that in the contract but the new decree didn't allow for the needed parking places making it difficult to get to the Spreepark "They deprived us of the foundation of the business," he says Witte is livid -- at the company that administers property owned by the city-state of Berlin for always opposing him at the press for what he feels are false reports at administrators for giving top city officials incorrect information and at the insolvency administrator for undervaluing a major part of the park rides But what angers him more than anything is when he reads that the natural surroundings have "recovered a bit," saying: "I broke up the sea of concrete that was here myself planted the greenery and captured frogs for the lakes." the other side has also produced a long list of accusations One says that Witte never realized his original concept but was always quick to pin the blame on others It has also been said that he has been late with his rent payments that he hasn't rehabilitated the "Eierhäuschen" ("Little Egg House") a historically listed tourist locale on the grounds But Witte rejects responsibility for almost all such accusations he says that he has tried to revitalize the park -- but that there is one thing he will admit to: "My wife and I didn't always see eye to eye on things," he says dozens of people have popped up and expressed an interest in taking it over the insolvency administrator turned it back over to the Wittes Sabrina Witte has been running the snack shop there in addition to offering guided tours the city-state of Berlin allowed plans for a compulsory auction to fall through -- even though a Berlin-based concert organizer had offered almost €2.5 million ($3.3 million) for the lease It would seem that city officials want to keep their hands on the property most likely so that apartments can be built on the grounds Berlin has a reputation for having difficult contractual conditions "There is no way I will be participating in this auction," says Roland Mack head of the country's successful Europapark amusement park Despite the fact that the Spreepark is being sold at a bargain price Mack says that "the conditions related to nature protection visitors and parking spaces are a big problem." doesn't seem to be doing anything about it It declined to comment not only on the Spreepark's future but also on the series of investors that have lost interest in acquiring it and the current contractual situation An inquiry about the Pirate Party's demands to reveal the details of the contract also went unanswered No one wants to take responsibility for the downfall of Spreepark -- the acres of fallow land at the heart of the Plänterwald Forest The park ruins are situated in one of Berlin's most desirable locations The Spreepark remains a photogenic adventure playground that attracts urbanites willing to jump the fence. Some are just curious, while others come with the intention of bringing back a hip souvenir. Several years ago, Sabrina Witte was forced to retrieve one of the park's swan boats from the nearby state of Brandenburg after thieves made off with the boat for a nighttime ride on the Spree River. Like her father, Sabrina Witte wants to save the park. "If I won the lottery, I would buy the whole thing immediately," she says. For more than a decade, East Berlin's famous Spreepark has been closed to the public. In 2002, the park was declared insolvent. The park still retains some of its original features, but many of the installations have been sold off by those managing the insolvency. Despite its sad demise, the park retains a certain charm. Pictured here is a teacup carousel dating back to the communist era. After reunification, the asphalted surface around the park's famous ferris wheel was converted into a water landscape. Roller coasters, two water courses and a Western town were also added to the park. For several years now, visitors have been able to get to know the defunct fairground through a series of guided tours. Former owner Norbert Witte shipped six of Spreepark's main attractions to Peru in 2002. The transport had been ratified by the authorities, who believed the installations were being sent for repair. What used to be a picturesque swan lake is now covered in algae. The park also included a series of canoes which could be taken out by visitors. One of the park's miniature railways is back in working order and carries visitors across the site on weekends. Spreepark was once known for its spectacular shows. Famously, polar bear trainer Ursula Böttcher performed here in the 1990s. The rusty roller coaster has been out of order for over a decade. The park is deemed a safety hazard by the authorities, with some of the wooden installations threatening to collapse. In 2011, a scene for the action film "Hanna" was filmed at the park. The site has also served as a backdrop for music videos and a German vampire movie. The Spreepark features several defunct railway routes, which visitors once used to navigate the site. Earlier this year, the band The XX played a gig at Spreepark. The organizers of the event subsequently tried to acquire the site, but were unsuccessful. Every year, some 500 people break into the park. They often take parts of the props with them as souvenirs. The Spreepark's famous swan boats -- now covered in graffiti -- are dotted around the site. What used to be a kiosk selling condiments to visitors is now being used as a dumpster. The site features the remains of half-timber houses which once accomodated a ghost train and a hall of mirrors. The park's ferris wheel is out of service, but still turns with the wind. Visitors illegally climbing on it have been known to get caught at the top when the wind stopped blowing. Access to the park is limited: The closest train station is a 15-minute walk away and there are few parking spaces. The park's future is uncertain, but the site will remain one of the German capital's edgiest attractions. Coming down before it goes up again.imago imagesBerlin-The trademark ferris wheel at the Spreepark amusement park in Treptow will be one of the first rides to reopen at the defunct park in Plänterwald with renovation reportedly beginning this week the government agency overseeing the park's rebirth will announce additional details Thursday but Tagesspiegel reported Tuesday that the 45-metre-high wheel would be dismantled and individual parts inspected for re-use or disposal The amusement park was popular in the former East Germany It opened during the country's anniversary in 1969 and continued to operate through 2001 with generous government subsidies But the park ultimately suffered financial hardship and its owner fled to South America The abandoned park then became popular among urban explorers and thrillseekers but has become inaccessible except during approved tours since the city bought it in 2014 Grün now hopes to re-open the site in 2026 after injecting €48 million into its refurbishment including re-opening the Eierhaus (egg house) restaurant next year and upgrading its connection to the Spree river The red Ferris wheel and its 40 gondolas were built as a successor to a smaller structure as late as 1989 shortly before the dissolution of East Germany Earlier this year local politicians and carnival ride operators pushed for a temporary opening with temporary rides to offer a financial reprieve to carnies suffering after nearly all fairs were cancelled in the past year because of corona Grün refused to allow any temporary usage saying the site wasn't yet safe we're giving you 30 key German phrases that charted Germany's Cold War division and reunification Punk youth at a 1985 concert in Plänterwald East Berlin.Berlin-East Germany did Denglish too a catch-all term police and the Stasi used to describe potentially violent youth who refused to conform: punks Rowdys were anti-social youngsters said to be under the influence of Western rock music use of the word Rowdy  in German predates the GDR by decades and was first mentioned in the Duden But the concept took on legal significance in East Germany where Rowdytum was a crime as defined per a 1968 law that stipulated that "those who participate in a group which out of disregard for the public order or the rules of socialist communal life threats or crude insults towards persons or malicious damage of things or facilities will be sentenced up to five years in prison." a significant neo-Nazi scene had developed in the country a group of skinheads famously attacked the audience of a punk concert in Zionskirche in Mitte (a gathering point for the East German resistance) where West Berlin band Element of Crime had been playing screaming "Sieg Heil!" and "Jews out of German churches!" A handful of skinheads were charged with Rowdytum An official document described the perpetrators as "Rowdys with fascist vocabulary" The entertainment park was opened in 1969 as Kulturpark Plänterwald The area is situated in the north of the Plänterwald It was the only permanent entertainment park in the GDR and the only such park in either East or West Berlin The VEB Kulturpark Berlin was completed in 1991 the Spreepark Berlin GmbH company received the contract the references of Norbert Witte of the company were not properly checked Under the Spreepark GmbH some 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 covering all individual attractions was now charged instead of visitors paying for each individual ride The asphalted surface around the Ferris wheel was taken up and converted into a water landscape a Western town and an English village were later added to the park The increase in the admission fee to 30 DM per person and a lack of parking space contributed to a drop in visitor numbers until in 2001 only 400,000 visitors entered the park Spreepark GmbH announced that they were insolvent together with his family and closest coworkers moved to Lima in Peru They shipped six attractions (Fliegender Teppich having been allowed to do so by the authorities who believed they were being sent for repair the park was declared completely insolvent Debts at a level of €11,000,000 remained and the area was allowed to fall into disrepair The Ferris wheel still stands but has not operated since the park’s closure the remains of other attractions can still be found on-site major parts of the park were destroyed in a fire Reports indicated that firefighters discovered two blazes 200 metres apart that soon merged This indicates the fires may have been deliberately set Ian Smith is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News Join 1000s of subscribers and receive the best Vintage News in your mailbox for FREE More photo galleries FM Skyscraper Zone -->