AEG Gelände

Sometimes you wonder what Berlin would look like without the bombardments of 1945. Thankfully (or sometimes unfortunately…) there are still plenty of examples of how it could have been. Especially old factories, which nowadays provide shelter for loads of start-up firms in the technology sector.

The AEG Gelände in the not-so-hip Wedding is a good example. Not a place that you happen to pass by, unless you live in the area. At the end of the nineteenth and the start of the twentieth century electronics manufacturer AEG built factories in beautiful red brick. With the turbine room as undisputed centrepiece, a hall with a length of more than 100 metres and an awesome glass roof. it is an architectural masterpiece by Peter Behrens that draws students from all over the world. Below the ground the first test track for the Berlin metro (U-Bahn) can be found as well. Berliner Unterwelten provides tours.

Nowadays the AEG area is a technology- and innovation complex, where the technical university found a place as well. It’s also a cultural heritage site. Free tip: combine a visit with a walk in Volkspark Humboldthain, the Nordpark, the Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer and the Mauerpark to have a great morning or afternoon.