Virtually untouched – hidden in a courtyard lies an old abandoned Gas Station, an 80-year-old Berlin time capsule. A trio of old Arab men guard the courtyard entrance, suspiciously eying up every passerby while casually circulating a joint. A rather comical scene but a casual nod of the head signals everyone that everything’s cool.
The Gas pumps, which somehow miraculously survived the war and vandalism – date back to the 1920s, while the Gas Station itself sprung up sometime in the early 1950s. For whatever reasons that be, the Gas Station shut its doors sometime in the 1970s quite possibly as a result of the 1973 oil crisis, or just because the Hinterhof of a residential building was too small for a gas station. The price at the pumps is forever stuck at ₰63,6 (¢31.1). A controlled urban jungle consisting of Pots and a bathtub full of plants now redecorate the area. Its calm and peaceful – and the serenity is definitely enhanced by the clouds of smoke wafting over from the bushes.
While the gas station itself isn’t in use any more – the garage underneath it certainly is. One of the neighbors parks his old AWO 425 Motorcycle in there, and while he didn’t have any more clues about the gas station itself, he did have some interesting history to share about East German Motorcycles
Despite being so central – this defunct gas station has managed to evade the fate of so many other “abandoned” locations. There are virtually no signs of graffiti – or mindless vandalism, quite possibly due to its hidden nature and watchful neighbors. I can only hope that it stays that way for quite some time.
While there are dozens of abandoned Gas Stations in and around Berlin, few if any posses the charm of this one. Rumor has it that there might be another one of these Gas Stations, with equally well-preserved pumps somewhere in Berlin – but I have yet to confirm this/find it.
Table of Contents
For more Pictures of this hidden little gem – check out the Flickr Album: The Hidden Gas Station
The Abandoned Gas Station in Berlin
Address: N/A
Public Transport: N/A
20 Comments
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What a cool find! Great photos too.
Thanks – maybe youll stumble across it as well one day 😉
Fantastic photos! Thanks for finding and capturing the gem 🙂
Danke! Im curious if the rumors are true about the other Tankstelle as well – theres only so many hours in a day though
Great find man! Brilliant photos too!
thanks dude
I add to the previous comments. Outstanding find and awesome images. Hope I can find somthing like that when I am in Berlin next month.
Thanks Gus! Its becoming increasingly difficult to find these kind of places, but Berlins always good for a surprise. How long you going to be in Berlin for?
4 1/2 days. Leaving Dresden this morning for Berlin! 5 Jul.
That’s one of the things I like best about Berlin! There’s so much to be explored in the city. Especially if you go outside the ring. The other day I went to a friend’s WG and he had a f&%in’ WWII bunker in the building. Anyway, nice post, nice photos!!!
Thats one of the reasons why I love this city so much as well 😉
Thanks a bunch for posting and props for not putting the address, though some context clues will help me experience this wonderful gem myself!
Yeah – im normally quite open to addresses – especially if it only requires 2 seconds of googling. This place isnt one of those though, and id rather keep it hidden for a little bit longer.
hey Digital Cosmonaut! just got done with a day at Beelitz-Heilstatten and a weekend in chernobyl and wanted to catch a few things in the city before i went back to the USA. i’m going to the iraqi embassy today and wanted to see this. i know the location but i wanted to see if the “guards” were OK with you taking pictures? i have a lot of camera gear and are willing to “donate” some money to them if needed 🙂
are you talking about the Embassy or the Gas Station? The Gas Station is super relaxed. The locals dont mind much, just say hello and give a friendly nod. The Embassy on the other hand id be carefull. Getting in is super easy, better to do it through the front gate (last time I checked someone broke the lock and left it wide open) than jumping the fence. Ive heard that the locals will call the cops if they spot anyone going in, but thats more of a rumor than anything else.
Hello. On august this year (2016) I walked on the street (xxxxx) where the Station is and they removed the pumps, but I was in a hurry and I did not check deeper. Can you confirm it?
Hey! You sure you looked in the right spot? the street you mentioned was wrong. I havent heard otherwise about them being removed but ill have a look and see if they are still there. I know that their condition has suffered a bit since I first posted about them
They are gone. I passed (xxxx) two weeks ago and had a look into the courtyard, too. Someone told me they were sold and even mentioned the place where one of them is standing now but I cannot remember the spot they named. The big sign above the entrance is gone as well:(
what a shame – ill def. pass by there again then to do an update.
Sad to report that all the old gas pumps have now been removed. I visited the site on 24/09/2017.