Noble Prefabs

Hardy Krause was one of the very first residents of Ernst Thälmann Park. As a passionate amateur photographer, he sneaked onto the construction site, photographed excavators and trenches, construction work and the rise of the 1,344 apartments. The lush green spaces were planted by the tenants themselves, helped now and then by a Soviet detachment. Meanwhile, the fir trees have grown right up to the soundproof windows on the fourth floor. A nice, warm home. Up to the present day. The only thing that worries Mr. Krause is what was buried under the 25,000-square-metre site. Topsoil, flower beds and meadows on contaminated earth, and toxic waste from the gas plant that was blown up. Year after year, the groundwater purification system filters about 1.5 tons of pollutants out of the soil. A residents’ initiative is fighting to make sure this is never forgotten. Thälmann Park is in a highly desirable residential area.