Prison "Down on the Farm"
The history of this abandoned prison began shortly after World War II. Originally, an agricultural business was established here, where prisoners were supposed to cultivate moorland and heathland. They were initially housed in temporary Nissen huts—simple corrugated iron structures that offered little more than a roof over their heads. Over the years, this developed into a versatile prison operation with animal husbandry and agriculture. Cattle, pigs, and fields of vegetables and potatoes not only supplied the inmates on site, but also other prisons in the area.
In the mid-1970s, the use of the site changed fundamentally:
A modern new prison was built on the grounds, which went into operation at the end of the decade.
Initially, the facility was intended for shorter prison terms, but it soon took on additional tasks. Remand detention and preventive detention were also carried out here—an indication of how flexibly the facility had to respond to the needs of the justice system.
In the early 1990s, the prison was granted the status of an independent correctional facility. From then on, it was responsible for male prisoners serving multi-year sentences, for open prison conditions, and for prisoners in preventive detention. At times, the facility had more than 200 places, divided between closed and open prison conditions.
However, with a nationwide reorganization of the prison system, the prison lost its importance. In the mid-2000s, the facility was reintegrated into a larger institution. The final curtain fell at the end of 2014: the last prisoners were transferred and the gates were closed.
Since then, the site has lain fallow—a place where traces of agriculture, penal servitude, and decay overlap. It is precisely this mixture that makes this prison a fascinating lost place today, where history and transience meet in an impressive way.
VIsited: September 13, 2020 and May 2, 2021
Location: Undisclosed, Germany
Status: Sold to a new owner in 2024
