Kinderheim A. S. Makarenko, Residential child care facility in Johannisthal, Berlin, Germany.
Kinderheim A. S. Makarenko was a child care facility in Berlin-Johannisthal that extended across multiple buildings along Südostallee. The complex included numerous residential and functional buildings that together formed a complete operation for hundreds of children.
The facility opened in 1953 and became the largest child care operation in East Germany with about 600 beds. It cared for several generations of children over nearly five decades until its doors closed in 1998.
The children's home was named after educational reformer Anton Semyonovich Makarenko, and visitors can see in the buildings the architecture by Hermann Henselmann that expressed socialist education ideals. The layout and design of the complex show how the education philosophy of that era became visible in the built form.
Visitors can see the former complex today as a residential park, where an information center documents stories from past residents. It is easy to access and offers insight into the past through preserved buildings and informative exhibits.
Remnants of art objects and playgrounds can still be found on the grounds today, showing how children's daily life was organized there. These details offer a rare glimpse into the practical side of the socialist education system.
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