Demolition of the general hotel at BER airport imminent

History - Demolition of the general hotel at BER airport imminent

After weeks of preparatory work, the demolition of the historic General Hotel on the BER airport site is set to begin in December. The demolition should be completed by February, the Federal Agency for Real Estate announced on request. The "Berliner Zeitung" had already reported on this. The former reception building for representatives of the Soviet Union and state guests of the GDR had been gutted since mid-September.

In 2011, it was decided to demolish the building. The area is to be used for the aircraft of the Ministry of Defense's air force, which is to move from Cologne/Bonn Airport to BER.

There was widespread opposition to the demolition shortly before it began. All six parliamentary groups in the Brandenburg state parliament are committed to preserving the historic building. Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) and Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner also spoke out against the demolition. There was also massive protest from the Berlin and Brandenburg Chambers of Architects as well as monument conservationists. The villa was built between 1947 and 1950.

Report in the"Berliner Zeitung"

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1. Despite the opposition, the federal agency for real estate tasks remains determined to carry out the demolition of the General Hotel, a significant monument from the Soviet Union era at BER airport.
2. The demolition of this historical building, which served as a reception for representatives of the Soviet Union and state guests of the GDR, has sparked concerns within the architectural community and monument conservationists.
3. The decision to demolish the General Hotel was made in 2011 to make way for the Ministry of Defense's air force, which will relocate its aircraft operations from Cologne/Bonn Airport to BER.
4. The villa, built between 1947 and 1950, has also been a subject of interest for the Berlin and Brandenburg Chambers of Architects, who have expressed their opposition to the demolition.
5. The Berlin newspaper, "Berliner Zeitung", has been reporting extensively on the controversy surrounding the General Hotel's demolition, highlighting the importance of preserving such architectural landmarks.
6. The debate around the General Hotel's demolition echoes the ongoing struggle to balance the needs of modernization and development with the preservation of historical sites, a common challenge faced in cities like Berlin.
7. As the preparatory work for the demolition nears completion, the federal agency for real estate tasks has projected that the demolition of the General Hotel will be completed by February 2023.

Source: www.stern.de