GDR adventure pool SEZ transformed into emergency station for ZDF series
The former Sports and Recreation Center (SEZ) in Berlin, the GDR's flagship adventure pool, has been transformed into an emergency ward - for the new ZDFneo series "KraNK". The series tells the story of the tough everyday life of an emergency room at Neukölln Hospital (KraNK for short), as the broadcaster announced on Tuesday.
Haley Louise Jones and Slavko Popadić take on the leading roles. Jones plays the head of the emergency room, Popadić an emergency doctor. Filming began at the SEZ in Berlin-Friedrichshain in August and is scheduled to run until December. The series should be available on the ZDF media library in the second half of 2024.
A Saxon investor bought the SEZ in 2003 for a symbolic euro from Berlin's real estate fund. The leisure pool, which had been making losses for years, was already closed at the time. The buyer was obliged to reopen the SEZ by 2007. There was a long-running legal dispute as to whether he had fulfilled his contractual obligations. The site has around three hectares of outdoor space and around one hectare of indoor space.
During the filming of the ZDFneo series "KraNK," the GDR's iconic adventure pool SEZ in Berlin-Friedrichshain served as an emergency ward. This transformation of historical leisure time venue into a set for the television series showcases the versatility of media locations.
Source: www.dpa.com
