Anita-Berber-Park, Public park in Neukölln, Berlin
Anita-Berber-Park is a park on the site of the former New St. Thomas Cemetery west of Hermannstraße, in the flight path of the former Tempelhof Airport. A plane-tree avenue, the central sight axis of the two cemeteries, crosses the grounds, and a wall built in 1898 runs along Hermannstraße. Concrete signal masts from 1961/62 stand under monument protection, and two staircases plus a ramp lead in from Leinestraße.
The New St. Thomas Cemetery was laid out west of Hermannstraße in the 19th century after the older St. Thomas Cemetery east of the road filled up. Anita Berber was buried here in 1928. After the Second World War residents cut most of the trees to build a provisional runway lighting system for Tempelhof Airport in 1948; the cemetery closed in 2012 and reopened as a park on 10 July 2017.
The park's name honours Anita Berber, the dancer, actress and self-styled performer buried here in 1928, when the grounds were still the New St. Thomas Cemetery. The plane-tree avenue that formed the central sightline between the two cemeteries survives, as does the 1898 boundary wall along Hermannstraße. During the Berlin Airlift, residents reportedly romped over the graves hoping the candy bombers would drop supplies.
Two staircases and a ramp from Leinestraße provide main access to the park, with multiple interior pathways connecting different areas. The ground is largely natural, so visitors should expect muddy conditions during or after wet weather.
The steel signal masts that guided aircraft on approach to Tempelhof were replaced by concrete masts in 1961/62. They remained in service until the airport closed in 2008 and are now protected along with the boundary wall on Hermannstraße. Residents had already cleared most trees on the cemetery in 1948 to set up provisional runway lighting.
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