Plansche auf dem Spielberg

A Spray Pad on the Foundations of the Gasometers

The Spielberg is located in Ernst-Thälmann-Park at the corner of Danziger Straße and Greifswalder Straße, and its history explains its shape. From 1872 and 1873, the IV. Berlin Gasworks stood here with six gasometers; demolition began in 1981, and when residents protested with the slogan “You don’t blow up gasometers,” it didn’t help: two gasometers were blown up at this spot in 1984. The Spielberg was built on these foundations in 1986, its circular shape referencing the round containers, and with it, a spray pad and playground. The surrounding park covers about 25 hectares of former gasworks land, was designed by Georg Büchner, and was a prestige project for the city’s 750th anniversary; it includes 1,332 apartments for approximately 4,000 people, a pond, a swimming pool, sports facilities, and several sculptures. Since 2014, the entire ensemble has been a protected monument, and the 14-meter-high Thälmann monument by Soviet sculptor Lew Kerbel stands a few steps away. Also within walking distance are the Kiezteich (neighborhood pond), a rose garden, a fitness area, a dedicated play area for toddlers, and the Zeiss Grand Planetarium on Prenzlauer Allee. In 1997, a majority of residents voted to retain the park’s name.

Circular Spray Pad, Concrete Slide, and a Balancing Act with Heritage Protection

The water comes from a circular spray pad enclosed by a pergola. It was the only play element that remained usable during the years-long closure of the area and was cleaned and restored in 2024 for 30,000 Euros; the pergola received climbing plants, fragrant herbs, and groundcovers that still need to grow. The total measure at the Spielberg cost 1.213 million Euros from the Sustainable Renewal program, planned by Gehrke Landschaftsarchitekten, and was opened on May 4, 2024. The ring-shaped slide hill features a polished concrete slide measuring approximately four by seven meters, with new fall protection made of rubber granules at the exit. Next to it is a sand play area with three climbing frames placed directly on the restored brick walls, along with climbing nets in the sand. This was precisely the difficulty: the walls are protected monuments, and palisade walls and railings had to be adapted to meet current safety standards while preserving the character of the facility. Two table tennis tables, a stainless steel pavilion, and new benches were added on the upper level. The planting follows the old pattern, and an additional 710,000 Euros were allocated for paths and accessibility in the park.