Y3S, Radio time signal station in Brandenburg, Germany
Y3S was a time signal transmitter in Nauen, Brandenburg, operated within the territory of East Germany. It broadcast coded pulses so that clocks and measuring instruments across the region could stay in sync.
The transmitter was set up by East German authorities to provide a shared time reference across the country. It stopped operating after German reunification.
The station sent time data in a coded format that only specially equipped receivers could read. This kind of system was common in research facilities and precision laboratories across East Germany.
The Nauen site can be seen from the surrounding area and is easy to reach on foot or by bicycle. The facility is not a public visitor site, so the area around it is the best place to observe it.
Nauen has been a radio site since the early 20th century, making it one of the oldest in Germany. Y3S reused that existing infrastructure for a completely different purpose than its predecessors had.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
