Trespassing Into History

Ludwigslust-Techentin Airfield was constructed between 1934 and 1935 as part of the rapid expansion of the German Luftwaffe. Like many military airfields of its era, it had no paved runways; aircraft operated from a large grass landing field. Three large aircraft hangars were built along the southeastern edge of the airfield, while two additional maintenance halls occupied the northern corner. The flight control building stood to the southeast, and the barracks and support facilities were located on the northeastern side of the base....(more)

A weathered brick barge resting quietly in the water and a handful of crumbling brick walls are among the few visible reminders of what was once one of Mecklenburg's most important industrial sites. Today, the former Brick Harbour (Ziegeleihafen) in Malliß is a peaceful destination surrounded by woodland, accessible via marked forest trails. It is difficult to imagine that this tranquil place once echoed with the sounds of industry, where barges, workers and machinery kept one of the region's largest brickworks in constant motion....(more)

A week after our visit to the abandoned brickworks, we found ourselves heading out again on a sunny Sunday in February 2021. The snow had finally melted, temperatures had climbed back above freezing, and it was simply too nice a day to stay indoors.

At the time, Germany was still in the midst of its second strict COVID-19 lockdown, which had already been in place for almost two months. Travel restrictions meant we were not allowed to leave our federal state, so I started looking for abandoned places closer to home that we hadn't explored yet. Eventually, I came across two promising locations: a small cottage in the middle of a quiet village and a much larger farmhouse with a barn and several.....(more)