These are pictures from another huge abandoned place just outside Berlin – ‘Kaserne Krampnitz’. It was built in 1937 as barracks for the riding army and driving school. The architect was Robert Kish. The military grounds were abandoned at the end of WW2 in 1945. After just one day the Russian troops occupied Krampnitz. They left completely in 1994 leaving the area as a derelict ghost village.
Now and then the place has been used for movie and television production. Scenes in movies as ‘Enemy at the Gates’ and ‘Inglorious Basterds’ are shot here.

One of the buildings is called ‘the officers mess/casino’ and it’s in quite good shape after all. Some of the rooms are large halls with dark brown wood walls and fireplaces with old destroyed Nazi eagles. The yellow casino room it’s amazing lamp is quite spectacular.

The soviets destroyed all of the German symbols and swastikas so one of the large discussions going on about Krampnitz is whether the large ceiling mosaic in one of the other buildings is real or not. The mosaic shows an eagle on a German cross with swastika. Some says its put up for the movie ‘Enemy at the Gates’ but I haven’t seen it in that movie. In one of the corners some mosaic pieces has fallen out (look at the large version) and it looks quite real and too much work to put up something like that for a movie. Others claim it is real, painted over by the soviets, and restored for movie making. It is illegal to show the swastika in public in Germany today and it is even sometimes censored as decal in model kits.

We had heard this place was well guarded and was prepared to be thrown out, but didn’t encounter any problems. Wish we had more time on this fantastically large area.

Outside the officers mess. Also seen in the movie ‘Enemy at the gates’.

One of the magnificent halls in the officers mess. Used in ‘Inglorious Basterds’ and ‘Enemy at the gates’.

Large hall with view towards casino room

Hallway. Beginning of chapter four in ‘Inglorious Basterds’ is shot here

One of the fireplaces with destroyed German eagle symbol

Sovet wall decorations

The casino room with it’s incredible lamp

A tennis court between the buildings

Interesting soviet symbols

The almost famous mosaic room

Close up. Large version for detailed view.

The stair from the mosaic location

The theater in another building. Another angle.

Lots of abandoned buildings

From the heating house

Details from the heating house. Also seen in ‘Enemy at the gates’.

Exterior of the building

Krampnitz underworld