Heinrich-Laehr-Park, Public park in Zehlendorf, Germany
Heinrich-Laehr-Park is a park in Berlin's Zehlendorf district, about 800 metres long and 200 metres wide, making it one of the largest in the locality. It lies on the grounds of the former Schweizer Hof private clinic for mentally ill women, founded by Bernhard Heinrich Laehr in 1853. A sculpture group of turtles by Christian Theunert, made of artificial stone, was installed in 1957.
In 1853 Bernhard Heinrich Laehr bought land in Schönow and founded the private Nervenheilanstalt "Schweizer Hof" there for women with mental illness, laying out park and farmland on the 270-hectare site. In 1906, a year after his death, the southern part of the grounds was dedicated to him. His son ran the clinic until 1929, after which the land passed to the city of Berlin on condition it be used for social institutions; much of the Schweizer Hof was demolished and the Heinrich-Laehr-Park remained beside the later Schönower Park and Schweizerhofpark.
The design of the park's new playground facilities in 2024 incorporated direct input from 103 local children through organized workshops and surveys.
The park stretches about 800 metres from north to south and some 200 metres across, so allow time to cross it. It lies in Zehlendorf, in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough of southwestern Berlin. The whole area has been a protected landscape since 1963, which limits new building.
When designing the new play areas in 2024, planners worked directly with around 100 children from the neighborhood who shared their wishes and ideas. This input shaped the layout so that it specifically meets the needs of younger and older users.
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