# Chemiewerk, Germany - December 2016



## SlimJim (Dec 21, 2016)

*The UAC Faustficken Gamel Jaeger Reunion Tour*

Part of a long weekend's trip with Dick Derpin and Konrad.

When I moved to Poland a few months back, with the adventures winding down and life drastically slowing in pace, I suggested that the crew should all meet up in Berlin over the Christmas period. The idea went down well and with Konrad sourcing the accommodation it became a dead cert trip. Konrad sorted, organised and led the entirety of this trip, so big ups to the Ballz man - we couldn't have done it without you! 

Konrad travelled from the North of England by plane, DD from the South East by plane and me from North West Poland by bus. We were quite limited on time, because Dick Derpin had to go back to work on the Monday. With that in mind we frantically tried to cram in as much as possible over the two days we had as a complete crew. I had an extra day and a half after DD left, so me and Konrad tried to get some other stuff done but without much success. What with the terrorist attack being so close to us and locking down the city, it pretty much quashed any hopes of doing anything bait and inner-city in the end anyway. Fatigue, hunger, cold and bad kebabs wrecked us over the few days we spent yomping across Berlin, with it later transpiring that DD sustained a pretty serious injury to his leg probably whilst climbing a ton of stairs trying to get onto a hotel tower roof.

The Chemiewerk's been around since 1899 and originally operated as a cement works. During WWII it produced Bauxite for the Nazis and after the war produced phosphate products for agriculture and eventually went belly up. The place has been used as a film set and was featured in the film _Enemy at the Gates_.

It was the biggest site we did whilst in Germany. Our first visit was short lived. As soon as we got into the main hall, we heard noises and saw smoke. We made our way in a bit further and found some kids/photographers in there with dirtbikes and smoke bombs with zero concept of keeping shit on the down low... Thirty minutes later and secca turns up to flush the kids out, me and DD are mooching on the ground and Konrad is up on the high stuff, so me and DD bolt it and find a way out through the fence and hide across the train tracks, eventually regrouping with Konrad. We retreated to the museum grounds on the other side and watched secca, before calling it a day. A couple of days later me and Konrad end up going back, this time without pesky kids ruining the vibe and getting us rumbled.

On the approach...






Dick Derpin on the ground.





Ballz hits the high stuff.





Silos.





Vaping n mooching.





Getting to the high stuff.





Decent views from the top and a good place to hide from hi-vis types.





*Video.*


The place is a shell, but immense and satisfyingly Eastern looking. Thoroughly enjoyed this one, it was well worth getting cold and damp for. I didn't get a huge amount of photos, but the lads will provide some of the halls and what not with any luck.

Big ups to DD and Konrad.

Thanks for the looking.


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## krela (Dec 21, 2016)

I love this place, moody photos!


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## wolfism (Dec 21, 2016)

Cool place - agreed, it looks moody in the fog. Dreadful to see what happened at the Christmas market, but if you were struggling for things to explore in the city centre, might have been worth your while catching a train or bus out to Beelitz or Krampnitz for the day as they're a lot more relaxed.


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## Conrad (Dec 21, 2016)

Nice one Jim I really enjoyed this, shots,











"Security",































Merry Christmas All


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## Dick Derpin (Dec 21, 2016)

Big up the crew 

Nice write up SJ, i will certainly stick my photos up as soon as poss!

Also big up Ballz for being the crew leader on this trip!


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## flyboys90 (Dec 24, 2016)

Brilliant SJ! Was well your perseverance for shots of this quality.


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## SlimJim (Dec 25, 2016)

flyboys90 said:


> Brilliant SJ! Was well your perseverance for shots of this quality.



Cheers old bean  The trip did me in, I'm now sitting here with some sort of chest infection, but it was worth it!


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## SlimJim (Dec 25, 2016)

Video edited in at the bottom of the post


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## Dick Derpin (Jan 2, 2017)

*Taken me some time but here's my shots:

*

Chemiewerk by Dick Derpin, on Flickr


Chemiewerk by Dick Derpin, on Flickr


Chemiewerk by Dick Derpin, on Flickr


Chemiewerk by Dick Derpin, on Flickr


Chemiewerk by Dick Derpin, on Flickr


Chemiewerk by Dick Derpin, on Flickr


Chemiewerk by Dick Derpin, on Flickr


Chemiewerk by Dick Derpin, on Flickr


Chemiewerk by Dick Derpin, on Flickr


Chemiewerk by Dick Derpin, on Flickr


Chemiewerk by Dick Derpin, on Flickr

Thanks,


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## smiler (Jan 2, 2017)

Proper Job DD, Most Enjoyable, ☺


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## Wrench (Jan 2, 2017)

I'm liking those pics, very nice.
Thanks for posting.


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## Rubex (Jan 3, 2017)

Wow, what a place! I love all 3 sets of pics


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## flyboys90 (Jan 4, 2017)

SlimJim said:


> Video edited in at the bottom of the post



Stunning shots and great video SJ. What is the music playing on the video??


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## Dirus_Strictus (Jan 4, 2017)

Very nice - you have both given us a master class in how to record a vast site like this and given a true sense of what these massive plants must have been like when working. One query SJ; did you mean the plant 'processed' (not 'produced') Bauxite in the Nazi era? Bauxite is the primary ore from which Aluminium is obtained and I know that the Nazi scientist were always trying to up their alloy production for aircraft use. Your text seems to indicate; that perhaps, they were combining lower grade ores to 'produce' the chemical signature of Bauxite, prior to the actual separation of the of the metal by the manufacturing methods used at that time in Germany.


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## smiler (Jan 4, 2017)

All them stairs, I got knackered just watching, I enjoyed it, Thanks


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## SlimJim (Jan 5, 2017)

flyboys90 said:


> Stunning shots and great video SJ. What is the music playing on the video??



Cheers  I believe it's: Amon Tobin - Easy Muffin. Lowering the BPM with video tunes until I can sort an external mic setup for better splore audio!



Dirus_Strictus said:


> Very nice - you have both given us a master class in how to record a vast site like this and given a true sense of what these massive plants must have been like when working. One query SJ; did you mean the plant 'processed' (not 'produced') Bauxite in the Nazi era? Bauxite is the primary ore from which Aluminium is obtained and I know that the Nazi scientist were always trying to up their alloy production for aircraft use. Your text seems to indicate; that perhaps, they were combining lower grade ores to 'produce' the chemical signature of Bauxite, prior to the actual separation of the of the metal by the manufacturing methods used at that time in Germany.



Hard to say. My short history write up was pinched and para phrased from a German exploring site


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## DirtyJigsaw (Jan 8, 2017)

Nice report SlimJim, does Konrad even vape tho?


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## Dick Derpin (Jan 10, 2017)

DirtyJigsaw said:


> Nice report SlimJim, does Konrad even vape tho?



Does the pope shit in the woods....


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## SlimJim (Jan 10, 2017)

DirtyJigsaw said:


> Nice report SlimJim, does Konrad even vape tho?



God help us, I think he would vape in his sleep if possible


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## krela (Jan 11, 2017)

Dick Derpin said:


> Does the pope shit in the woods....



Not that I've ever witnessed tbh.


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## Drake90 (Apr 6, 2017)

Well one of main problems which I had in Poland was general lack of clinics and hospitals which were able to accept me because of my foreign insurance. Unfortunately, there are not to may places in the country, which will be able to help you if you are not from Poland. It is sad but I only managed to find one such place. An American Clinic in Wilanow, where foreigners can use without problems medical care, having insurance only from their own country. Besides, there are no problems with communication, because the staff is multilingual. In addition, at theplace, each patient receives their own tutor who accompanies him throughout the process of treatment or rehabilitation.


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## SlimJim (Apr 6, 2017)

Drake90 said:


> Well one of main problems which I had in Poland was general lack of clinics and hospitals which were able to accept me because of my foreign insurance. Unfortunately, there are not to may places in the country, which will be able to help you if you are not from Poland. It is sad but I only managed to find one such place. An American Clinic in Wilanow, where foreigners can use without problems medical care, having insurance only from their own country. Besides, there are no problems with communication, because the staff is multilingual. In addition, at theplace, each patient receives their own tutor who accompanies him throughout the process of treatment or rehabilitation.



What's that got to do with the Chemiewerk which is in Germany? Get a European health insurance card. I've used it on one occasion and flashing it about got me a checked out by a doctor and meds prescribed in a local hospital. You're pretty much done if you don't speak at least some lingo in Poland though.


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## krela (Apr 6, 2017)

This is a forum about derelict buildings, not international health treatment...


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## smiler (Apr 6, 2017)

Yeah, that's a bit far off topic even for me, anyway slimjim couldn't risk living in a country without a convenient fracture clinic


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## Gromr (Apr 6, 2017)

Something about an out the blue detailed comment on international health treatment is pretty amusing


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## prettyvacant71 (Apr 7, 2017)

WOW WHAT A BIZAAR PLACE!!!

Great images guys! I can see why this place has been used as a film set, such a strange environment, the fog and grey sky really suits the mood of the place.

Fantastic report!


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