Tour Report: Agricultural Seeds Center

The second place we had on our list for my wife's birthday tour in 2020 was only about five minutes away from the old cemetery we had visited first.

Here, too, there was a parking lot right outside the door, so to speak. However, the building - a former seeds station - is surrounded by a fairly large open space. It is therefore almost impossible to enter unnoticed. So we looked for a point on the path surrounding the site where the building was between us and the residential area opposite, so that we at least had the feeling that we wouldn't be seen immediately as we walked across the field.

When we arrived at the building, we immediately saw an open door through which we were granted access.

Given the exposed location and the fact that the location is relatively well-known, I wasn't expecting too much - but we were really pleasantly surprised. The vandalism was limited and we found many things that indicated the former use of the building: Magazines on agriculture and genetics, files on plant breeding and cross-breeding, various specialist literature, packing materials and a large quantity of coffee sacks.

Even a few technical devices had survived the long time of abandonment.

So after the old cemetery, this was the second location in a row where you could discover an incredible number of exciting details. Although many of them are not really relevant from a photographic point of view, they offer a great insight into the work that has been carried out on this site for almost a century.

Here, too, we took plenty of time to take it all in before making our way back to the car.

To find out a bit more about the place and to check out all the photos, click the button below.

Tour Report: Cemetery "After Life"

During the CoViD pandemic in 2020, we left the city for our birthday week in May - as we do every year - and retreated to the “Huskyhof”.

For many years now, this has not only been a place full of good friends and great experiences, but also our “home base” for excursions in eastern Germany several times a year.

In May 2020, the trip there was difficult, at least with regard to the coronavirus regulations, because you were not allowed to leave your federal state without a special reason (e.g. for work). Well, we found a reason - namely to photograph dogs. We were given the “official assignment” to take photos of the husky pack. So we were at least formally compliant with the rules ;)

It was my wife Birthe's birthday, and after a hearty breakfast we didn't really feel like driving long distances and decided to check out a few locations nearby. Two of our “host mother” Petra's grandchildren asked if they could accompany us, so there were four of us. As our car was too full, we took Petra's van and set off.

Our first destination was an old cemetery. Although it's not abandoned in the sense of being abandoned, it hasn't been used for many decades. Even the greenery is only rudimentarily maintained to keep the paths reasonably clear. As a result, many graves have disappeared under dense greenery and in some cases can only be guessed at. Here and there the graves are still recognizable by stone edges or small metal fences. In other places, the stone nameplates defy moss and leaves.

Centrally located is a large, beautifully designed family burial ground with columns and statues grouped around a central memorial slab.

You can spend quite a lot of time in this place, as there are many small old graves to be discovered off the beaten track. Often you can't even tell if you're walking around a grave site.

We spent a considerable amount of time there before making our way to the second location.

To find out a bit more about the place and to check out all the photos, click the button below.

Tour Report: Gunpowder Factory "Sands of War"

Just two days after our discovery of the World War II execution site, we were already on our next excursion. Once again, the CoViD rules meant that only one tour was possible within the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. The weather was cloudy, but at least no rain was forecast, so we made our way to the “Besenhorster Sandbergen”, a nature reserve about 120 kilometers away, which is characterized by its dry, calcareous sandy grassland, its dunes and silver grass meadows as well as its old oak forests. 

Of course, we didn't just want to go there because of the beautiful nature, but there are also a few things to see there that will make your Urbex heart beat a little faster. There are numerous ruins of the former Düneberg powder factory on the grounds of the nature reserve.

Parts of the powder factory were built there as early as 1876. From 1935 to the beginning of April 1945, raw powder from the Krümmel dynamite factory was processed here into various types of powder and ballistically tested.

After the Second World War, production and storage buildings were blown up. The ruins are overgrown by the pine forest of the Besenhorster Sandberge and Elbsandwiesen, but are still partly visible and accessible.

As this is a local recreation area open to the public, we didn't have to search long for an unsuspicious parking space and were able to set off straight away. We took our time and walked around the large area almost in its entirety. Spring had bathed the area in a wonderful green, and the ruins blended into the landscape like remnants of a bygone era.

Contrary to our assumption, there were a few drops of rain while we were out and about - but we didn't let that bother us and took a short break in the former workshop building of the powder factory.

After a good three hours, we had finished our tour, walked along the Elbe for a short while and then made our way home.

Even though it's not an “exciting” location with spectacular motifs, I really enjoyed this excursion because I find the combination of ruins and nature really appealing and beautiful.

To find out about the history of the place and to check out all the photos, click the button below.