Schöneweide

It has become fashionable to renovate industrial buildings into offices or cultural complexes. That process has already taken place in the centre of Berlin, in Schöneweide the playing field for adventurous people is still wide open and forms one of the hidden gems of the city.

Few people know that one of the biggest industrial estates of Europe was located along the borders of the Spree river. The AEG factories were the start, on the other side of the water a brewery soon followed, but both degraded very quickly after the fall of the wall.

The brewery has been deserted (and in steady decline) since its closure twenty years ago, until around 2021 the owners of the Griessmühle club decided to move the club there under a new name (Revier Südost), because their old location was destined for office construction. The surrounding buildings are now being renovated bit by bit (as of 2026).

In the halls on the other side of the river are car workshops, but also the homebase of artists collective KAOS. A bit further to the east is the Industriesalon, where several artists have confiscated the run-down halls and in July every year to showcase their work during the Kunst Am Spreeknie festival. The former entrance building has been restyled into the lovely Schöneweile coffee house, that is open during office hours and in weekends.

A bit further down the road the biggest part of the former AEG factories has been converted into the University of Science and Economics. The Kranhaus (a former crane) is around the corner.  You can also visit the Paul Behrens Haus, where you should really visit the entrance hall on the left under the arch entry.

This whole area is under extensive renovation and expansion. Under the name Paul Behrens Ufer new offices and gastronomy will rise on the borders of this beautiful stretch of the Spree river.