# Kaserne Krampnitz - a return trip! LOTSA PICCIES!!!



## TeeJF (Nov 19, 2011)

Lets face it, despite good help from Red Dave we undeniably fc*ked up on our first trip to KK a few weeks ago because we didn't find the Adler ceiling. It turns out we had gone to the right building but we took it for a Soviet barrack block, and with the crappy and somewhat childish artwork on the doorway it's not surprising. The other reason (oh OK then - EXCUSE) is that there was a dirty great truck and some workmen nobbut a few yards from the one external feature of this building that would have given us a clue it wasn't actually a Soviet army barrack block after all and made us attempt a penetration 

So... armed with some more info and with no workmen in sight we went back for seconds - we weren't dissapointed!

A huge thank you to Red Dave again for all his help...

The piccies!



*There had been a wagon here and men working on the wall. No surprises then that we didn't get round to this point last time!*









*Not a soul in sight today though!!*








*This ornate balcony points at the building being German in origin, not Soviet as we had previously assumed...*








*Despite being very gloomy it was immediately clear that these ground floor corridors were much more asethetically pleasing than those in comparable Soviet blocks elsewhere on site...*








*A tin of boot polish on a table in an office that had clearly been used fairly recently, perhaps during the filming that was done in this building...*








*The huge map on the wall is of the USSR...*








*Up on that balcony...*








*A padded door? You'd be forgiven for thinking this was an asylum perhaps!*








*Harry Ramp Hilton Room 101! Evidence of occupation within!*








*The main staircase leading up to the Adler landing above. I'm not a lover of graf but I thought this was quite good!*








*As you climb the ornate staircase you soon catch sight of the Adler...*








*It is orientated away from the staircase...*








*The staircase itself is quite beautiful, constructed as it is of polished stone...*








*Sadly the graf nobbys clearly have no respect...*








*The Adler in all it's glory...*








*Feeling suitably chuffed! Thanks again Red Dave...*








*Finally, a shot from directly beneath the Adler. Sorry it's not a full width image but I desperately need a wide angle lense and a camera to carry it on!  *







That's all folks, hope you liked the pix! 

Thanks for looking.​


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## Priority 7 (Nov 19, 2011)

Damn you tee....I do a 24hr shift and you ruin my day further by posting these urbex jewels  Lovely work as always


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## Seahorse (Nov 19, 2011)

Excellent stuff.


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## King Al (Nov 19, 2011)

Good stuff TeeJ, I really want to see this place.


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## KingRat (Nov 19, 2011)

*Awesome*

Nice shots. I keep missing this bloody building !! I've been 3 times now and still I miss it.
Been floorboard mining yet ? Last trip saw me find unopened soviet fags, toilet kits, badges, pfennigs, postcards, letters, books ........


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## TeeJF (Nov 19, 2011)

KingRat said:


> Nice shots. I keep missing this bloody building !! I've been 3 times now and still I miss it.
> Been floorboard mining yet ? Last trip saw me return with unopened soviet fags, toilet kits, badges, pfennigs, postcards, letters, books ........




Well it took us two goes to find the Adler to be fair and we had a lot oc help too. Floorboard mining? I don't follow you?


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## KingRat (Nov 19, 2011)

TeeJF said:


> Well it took us two goes to find the Adler to be fair and we had a lot oc help too. Floorboard mining? I don't follow you?



Floorboard mining : Looking under floorboards, don't go ripping them up, fin som that have been lifted by the metal miners, pull all the foof out from the void and 9 times outta 10 - goodies


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## TeeJF (Nov 19, 2011)

Oh I see. No we have never done that.


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## Pincheck (Nov 19, 2011)

superb mate


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## smiler (Nov 19, 2011)

Fantastic Post, you guys are on a roll keep it coming, Thanks.


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## night crawler (Nov 19, 2011)

Awesome stuff your report is top notch as ever.


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## krela (Nov 19, 2011)

KingRat said:


> Floorboard mining : Looking under floorboards, don't go ripping them up, fin som that have been lifted by the metal miners, pull all the foof out from the void and 9 times outta 10 - goodies



Not sure about the law in Germany but wouldn't that be theft?


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## flyboys90 (Nov 19, 2011)

Amazing,had to see to belive it.


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## lilli (Nov 19, 2011)

krela said:


> Not sure about the law in Germany but wouldn't that be theft?



Twas just to see what was there tbh, I found .50 cal shell ... but I wasn't bringing that home through customs!!!


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## PaulPowers (Nov 20, 2011)

Great report, shame about the graff 





KingRat said:


> Nice shots. I keep missing this bloody building !! I've been 3 times now and still I miss it.
> Been floorboard mining yet ? Last trip saw me return with unopened soviet fags, toilet kits, badges, pfennigs, postcards, letters, books ........



And that would be theft.


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## RedDave (Nov 22, 2011)

Well worth going back for.


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## heeftmeer (Dec 1, 2011)

You can go for a third time I geuss. Very niced report TeeJF


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## TeeJF (Dec 1, 2011)

Thanks for your kind comments. Yes it is a really good place Heeftmeer but I think once you've seen it you've done it. I don't think we'd go back again unless we were guiding someone so that they could see it. 

One thing I have thought is that to see a site in good condition, then to go back 12 months, 18 months later, and find it wrecked, well that must be quite upsetting. We did an old people's care home a while ago and even before I had uploaded our report and photos someone else had been in and written a stupid comment on a wall in spray paint. That made me really angry. So I think maybe Mookster had it right when he said it's best to see a place, and move on, remembering it how it was when you saw it.

The reason we did Krampnitz twice was because we didn't find the adler on the first trip for a variety of reasons so we went back just to see it. 

We weren't dissapointed!


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## TeeJF (Dec 1, 2011)

RedDave said:


> Well worth going back for.



It certainly was Red, thank you again for all your help.


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## Foxylady (Dec 1, 2011)

TeeJF said:


> ...So I think maybe Mookster had it right when he said it's best to see a place, and move on, remembering it how it was when you saw it...


That's how I feel too, and like yourselves I've usually only gone back to explore the bits I missed the first time. Just can't beat the feeling of that first virgin explore.

The Adler is totally amazing. Love the cobbled courtyard too. Excellent stuff as always.


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## karltrowitz (Dec 11, 2011)

That Eagle is absolutely stunning and seriously needs to be preserved. Nice pics.


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## TeeJF (Dec 11, 2011)

karltrowitz said:


> That Eagle is absolutely stunning and seriously needs to be preserved. Nice pics.




Agreed. I don't know how it has escaped the authorities when they decreed that all Nazi era decoration in Germany was to be erased, much less what it was doing in an active Soviet barracks.


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## KingRat (Dec 11, 2011)

TeeJF said:


> Agreed. I don't know how it has escaped the authorities when they decreed that all Nazi era decoration in Germany was to be erased, much less what it was doing in an active Soviet barracks.



I think you'll find it was film set. I could be wrong, as I also have it on good authority the Soviets were'nt the ones hell bent on the destruction of all Nazi symbolism, that was the Brits, Yanks and French. Ivan didn't really give a t*ss what the building contained just as long as it was warm, dry and had somewhere to store the lard and cabbage.


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## TeeJF (Dec 11, 2011)

KingRat said:


> I think you'll find it was film set.
> 
> Ivan didn't really give a t*ss what the building contained just as long as it was warm, dry and had somewhere to store the lard and cabbage.



I thought exactly the same thing but a real mosaic made out of genuine materials is a b*gger of a lot of trouble to go to just for a flim. The normal approach is a paint brush and stencils, roll on pre-painted decor, or plastic mouldings etc etc etc. When viewed through the lense even the tackiest "replicas" can look totally convincing - I used to work for the BBC and did several prestigious dramas over the years including a really big production with John Mills and Omar Sharif, and even that had remarkably tacky props and set. 

Before I saw it for real "prop" was exactly my conclusion but having laid on my back beneath it taking pix I soon began to wonder. On the plus side it's just too damned elaborate a piece of work for a prop. Also it is in a building which from the outside appears superficially Soviet,until you spot the ornate balcony. And inside it is so obviously NOT Soviet. The Soviet buildings at KK are utilitarian in the extreme and their idea of decor is crappy cement reliefs painted in gaudy colours. This building interior here is full of elaborate polished sandstone et all.

On the minus side other Nazi decorations around KK have been chiselled out so if they went to the bother of doing that then why not this one too?

All I can suggest is go see for yourself before it's gone, and then decide what you think - you may be surpsied.

But I will say this, prop or otherwise, it is breath-takingly beautiful, even allowing for the dark symbolism so readily associated with insignia and emblems of the Third Reich.


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## KingRat (Dec 11, 2011)

TeeJF said:


> I thought exactly the same thing but a real mosaic made out of genuine materials is a b*gger of a lot of trouble to go to just for a flim. The normal approach is a paint brush and stencils, roll on pre-painted decor, or plastic mouldings etc etc etc. When viewed through the lense even the tackiest "replicas" can look totally convincing - I used to work for the BBC and did several prestigious dramas over the years including a really big production with John Mills and Omar Sharif, and even that had remarkably tacky props and set.
> 
> Before I saw it for real "prop" was exactly my conclusion but having laid on my back beneath it taking pix I soon began to wonder. On the plus side it's just too damned elaborate a piece of work for a prop. Also it is in a building which from the outside appears superficially Soviet,until you spot the ornate balcony. And inside it is so obviously NOT Soviet. The Soviet buildings at KK are utilitarian in the extreme and their idea of decor is crappy cement reliefs painted in gaudy colours. This building interior here is full of elaborate polished sandstone et all.
> 
> ...



We'll we're out there in Jan and I think we might be in the area so will, if time permits take a squizz. 
With regards the building not being a lump of Soviet concrete, I know it isn't fella.
The entire camp was Nazi before Igor moved in. 
I've got a picture somewhere of the Soviet utilitarian buildings - they were German too, or the Ruskis got bored and practiced their Germanic Italics. Or were you referring to the flats? Now they really were Soviet!!


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## TeeJF (Dec 12, 2011)

KingRat said:


> I've got a picture somewhere of the Soviet utilitarian buildings - they were German too, or the Ruskis got bored and practiced their Germanic Italics. Or were you referring to the flats? Now they really were Soviet!!



Yeah, I realised the flats were, they're so bl**dy bleak dontcha think? 

As regards the other buildings, some have fairly ornate elements, others are plain old concrete with zip in the way of embellishment. I assumed the paragons of blandness were all Soviet whereas the more elaborate were the original 30's Werhmacht buildings. I had also assumed that the place was massively expanded under the Russian admin. Is that not the case?


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## KingRat (Dec 12, 2011)

TeeJF said:


> Yeah, I realised the flats were, they're so bl**dy bleak dontcha think?
> 
> As regards the other buildings, some have fairly ornate elements, others are plain old concrete with zip in the way of embellishment. I assumed the paragons of blandness were all Soviet whereas the more elaborate were the original 30's Werhmacht buildings. I had also assumed that the place was massively expanded under the Russian admin. Is that not the case?



Those flats were that grim we actually made a concious decision NOT to look at them 

As for expansion, there must have been a considerable effort to squeeze all those guys in after Jerry did a bunk Comrade Lilli is far better placed to comment though. I'm going to shut up now as I've broken my rule about opening the hole in the front of my face and removing all doubt


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## lilli (Dec 12, 2011)

Comrade lilli 

The inner nerd in me did a bit of diggin back in about june time re Soviet buildings and suprisingly the Soviets only expanded here when they really needed to ... to demonstarate I have pictures 

Here is Krampnitz in 1953 - Obviously after the war but this shows the Kaserne how it would have been in 45




(so you can get your barings the front building (the big one ith the arch) is just up and left from the L92 road sign)

Compare this to the recent one (2004 was the clearest so I used that)




As you can see on the far left the Soviets have aded the motor pool and on the far right they have added the flats.

The other way you can tell is that the main accom blocks are still standing! The Soviets tended to put things up quickly and mostly in concrete! If it was brick they kinda only used one skin and then they dont like being derelict and standing for too long!

If you do go over to Germany again ( and I am sure that you ill its addictive ) Have a look at Doeberitz and you'll notice that they have done pretty much the same thing there added very little and reused what was there


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## TeeJF (Dec 12, 2011)

Thanks for that Lilli, great bit of detective work. Where's this other place you mentioned then? We are back over on Christmas Eve but we already have a pretty full schedule. Not that there's ever any excuse for not putting "another" in the to do list!

Cheers...

M and TJ


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## KingRat (Dec 12, 2011)

TeeJF said:


> Thanks for that Lilli, great bit of detective work. Where's this other place you mentioned then? We are back over on Christmas Eve but we already have a pretty full schedule. Not that there's ever any excuse for not putting "another" in the to do list!
> 
> Cheers...
> 
> M and TJ



Doeberitz, it's on the otherside of the dual carriageway to the Olympic villiage.


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## eclectic_fence (Jan 25, 2012)

Wow, what sight. Glad you took the effort to go again so you could share these incredible pictures.


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## tattooed (Jan 26, 2012)

*Wow!*

Simply............ Awesome! Great shots, I NEED to go there


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