The coal palm

Short detour to the actual industrial age. The history of the “IV Berlin Gas Facility” in the district of Prenzlauer Berg, where vineyards and windmills had once stood. As from 1873, the plant with its six gasometers supplied people with light and heat. But with soot and toxins as well. Practical things like gas stoves or gas irons were invented subsequently. Professional gas sniffers checked the pipes in the streets, so that as little as possible got into the air.

The gas plant operated until 1981. The demolition of the industrial monuments decided in that same year led to protests and demonstrations. This was rare in the GDR and party officials and loyalists found it highly suspicious. The film GASOMETER sheds light on the role of state security. In 1983, the Ernst Thälmann Park residential estate was built. More about those NOBLE PREFABS later.