# Devils Mountain - Feb 2012



## Priority 7 (Feb 20, 2012)

Teufelsberg (Devil's Mountain translated to English) rises about 80 meters above the surrounding area.
Its History is open to some debate what is certain is that it was created using approximately 12 Million cubic meters of rubble (Some 400,000 damaged buildings from war torn Berlin during its reconstruction) It is as high as the highest natural hill in the Berlin area.
The debate is over whether or not it covers a German Military Techinical College designed by Albert Speer. Some say they Allies tried to demolish the college but found it easier to bury, others say the college was designed but never built.
The 1960s saw a small skiing center built on the slopes of the hill.

The NSA built one of its largest listening stations here, rumored to be part of the global ECHELON intelligence gathering network. "The Hill", as it was known to American soldiers who worked there around the clock and who commuted there from their quarters in the American Sector, even though it was located in the British Sector. Before establishing the permanent buildings there late in the 1950s, Mobile Allied listening units had surveyed various other locales throughout West Berlin hoping to locate the best position for listening to Soviet, East German, and other Warsaw Pact nations communications. It was one of these units that drove to the top of Teufelsberg and discovered a significant improvement in listening abilities and this led to a large structure being built atop the hill, which would be run by the NSA. At the request of US government, the ski lifts were removed citing that they disturbed the signals. The station continued to operate until the fall of East Germany and the Berlin Wall, but after that the station was closed and the equipment removed. The buildings and radar domes are still there albeit trashed and covered in Graffiti.
Several curious occerences during it operation:

1. Certain times of the year the reception of the radio signals saw radio signal strength improve. This was eventually "proved" to the Ferris wheel of the annual German-American Volksfest Festival on the Hüttenweg in Zehlendorf.From that moment on the Ferris wheel was left standing for some time after the festival was over. 
2. While there were rumors that the Americans had excavated a shaft down into the ruins beneath, that was never proven.

Teufelsburg has been a location for movies, like The Gamblers, 2007 and The finale of the german vampire film We Are the Night was also shot there.




















































No Cock and Ball comments please


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## TeeJF (Feb 20, 2012)

Another graf spectacular! And you know, it looks OK because it's not just dumb arsed tagging.


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## flyboys90 (Feb 20, 2012)

Thats a grim reminder of what could have happened,great report & pics.


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## night crawler (Feb 20, 2012)

Great report and I love the photo's.


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## RedDave (Feb 20, 2012)

Excellent photos, well composed. I take it you were trespassing, as the place looks deserted while you were there. I took the easy option and paid my 15 Euro ticket to the seccers.

Third photograph looks like an atom bomb going off behind the buckyball thing.


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## Priority 7 (Feb 21, 2012)

It was like a regular tourist spot, but no security anywhere to be seen. Was a tiring hike getting there too...worth it in the end though


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## Black Shuck (Feb 21, 2012)

Nice one P7 that's incredible!!...


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## UrbanX (Feb 21, 2012)

Been looking forward to this one since I heard you were going to Berlin, and you've not dissapointed! Looks like you went at a great time too. Lovely stuff fella.


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## Priority 7 (Feb 21, 2012)

As had I my man a great place and quite relaxed...sort of place for a nice urban picnic


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