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The sanatoriums
in Beelitz are the tuberculosis sanatoriums of the regional
insurance institution Berlin, which were erected between 1898
and 1930 in the town
forest of Beelitz. The sanatoriums were
build especially for the medical treatment of the
workers from
the metropolis Berlin, they was exemplary for this time and
convey even today with which social commitment and greatly
medical expenditure one proceeded against the tuberculosis,
when it become the disastrous illness at the end of the 19.
century. Today there is the
health park Beelitz with modern
medical installations of the rehabilitation in this place.
The historical facilities include about 200 hectare space.
About 6 km northwest of Beelitz the
clinic area consists of about 60 buildings,
the huge patients pavilions and numerous supply facilities,
for example the
kitchen, the laundry, the bakery, the
butcher's, the market garden and the central heating- and
engine plant for the supply with current and heating. The
railway to Berlin was decisive for the location choice. The
location offered the necessary conditions for
medical precaution: in a large forest, calm, protected against the
wind, in smoke- and dust-free surroundings. While in this time
comparable tuberculosis sanatoriums for about 150 to 200
patients were planed, the facilities in Beelitz were with
about 1.600 beds the
probably biggest institution of that kind
in Europe.
The sanatoriums were
used military for more than fifty
years. In both World Wars the area was a Red-Cross-military
hospital and a military tuberculosis sanatorium. After the
World War II the area was confiscated by the Soviet army and
was prohibited area. Here the central military hospital of the
western group of the Soviet forces was situated until 1994.
After the return of the plant to the regional insurance
institution Berlin the
listed buildings and the
parks arranged by gardeners were sold to a private investor group. For the
rebirth of the sanatorium the redevelopment of the historical
buildings and the construction of complementing new buildings
were intended. New health facilities and hospitals for about
500 patients as well as a new district for 2500 to 3000
inhabitants were the essential aims of the development
starting 1996.
Since today there were build especially the
new hospital facilities of
the health park, partly in the
redeveloped historical buildings, partly in additional new buildings. Neurological
rehabilitation, Parkinson-therapy,
rehabilitation for children and young persons as well as geriatric care is now the
emphasis of the health area. Several small buildings of the
sanatoriums were reconstructed by private owners and got a new
use as housing space. The redevelopment of the
historical thermal power station was started. The still existing
technical installations of the
thermal power station were
refurbished and are place at the visitor’s disposal. |
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