Rixdorfer Höhe in the Hasenheide

From Rabbit Enclosure to Rubble Mountain in Neukölln

Hasenheide gets its name from a rabbit enclosure, first mentioned in 1678, where the Great Elector went hunting. In the 19th century, the Prussian army established parade grounds and shooting ranges here, and in 1811, Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, together with Karl Friedrich Friesen, opened the first gymnastics club in Prussia on this site. The Jahn Oak and a bronze statue in the northeast of the park, with dedication plaques from gymnastics clubs around the world embedded in its base, commemorate this to this day. Joseph Pertl designed the current park from 1936; the wide meadows between elongated strips of trees are intended to recall the former shooting ranges. The Rixdorfer Höhe was added in 1951, piled up from approximately 700,000 cubic meters of debris. It measures 68 meters above sea level (Normalhöhennull) and is thus 22 meters above the surrounding terrain. In 1955, the Trümmerfrauen-Denkmal (rubble women’s memorial) by Katharina Szelinski-Singer was unveiled on it, which was moved to the Graefestraße entrance in 1986 due to vandalism. In 1954, Volkspark Hasenheide was officially opened, after large parts of the old area had previously been built over for Tempelhof Airport.

A Spiral Slope above Fallow Deer and Peacocks

The path to the Rixdorfer Höhe leads spirally upwards, and accordingly, the descent requires control and attention; for the very little ones, this slope is less suitable than the flatter hills on this list. It is not supervised, and tobogganing is at your own risk. At the top of the plateau, it is quiet; the view does not extend as far as from the high rubble mountains in the west, but everything else is directly at the foot of the hill. The animal enclosure with free entry is one of the most beautiful in the city: fallow deer, Heidschnucke sheep, peacocks, goats, donkeys, and llamas live here, plus a petting area. There are three playgrounds, including a fairy tale playground with a pirate ship, castle, and magic carpet, as well as a water playground. In addition, there is a rose garden, a heather garden with a rhododendron grove, the Rixdorfer Pond created in 1991, the open-air theater with its stage, a gymnastics museum, and a dog exercise area. In the center of the park is the Hasenschänke as a meeting point. In total, the park covers about 47 hectares and borders directly on Tempelhofer Feld. To the north are a mini-golf course and a skate park on Columbiadamm, next door is the Sommerbad Neukölln (Neukölln outdoor pool). Hasenheide can be reached via the U7 and U8 at Hermannplatz and several bus lines.