Forst Zinna
Former Military complex built in 1934 as part of the German rearmament programme and later officially named Adolf Hitler Lager.
At the end of the Second World War due to its location the complex ended up in the hands of the Soviet occupation forces, who turned the complex into a 'displaced person camp'. In 1947 the SED (Socialist Unity Party of Germany) took over the base and turned it into “The German Academy of Public Administration” with the goal of training the DDR political elite.
It appears that the successful use of the camp by the SED did not go unnoticed by the soviets who soon demanded the transfer of the camp for military purposes. Now in the hands of the Soviet Army the base grew to accommodate a new battalion, several administrative buildings, an outdoor cinema and apparently even a zoo (we could find no evidence of this though)
One of the worst train accidents in the history of the DDR happened just outside of the camp when a Russian tank was left on the train tracks. An express train collided with it killing 6 and injuring 33.
Only part of the complex is protected and safe from demolition, the rest of the camp is due to be demolished in late 2012 early 2013.
At the end of the Second World War due to its location the complex ended up in the hands of the Soviet occupation forces, who turned the complex into a 'displaced person camp'. In 1947 the SED (Socialist Unity Party of Germany) took over the base and turned it into “The German Academy of Public Administration” with the goal of training the DDR political elite.
It appears that the successful use of the camp by the SED did not go unnoticed by the soviets who soon demanded the transfer of the camp for military purposes. Now in the hands of the Soviet Army the base grew to accommodate a new battalion, several administrative buildings, an outdoor cinema and apparently even a zoo (we could find no evidence of this though)
One of the worst train accidents in the history of the DDR happened just outside of the camp when a Russian tank was left on the train tracks. An express train collided with it killing 6 and injuring 33.
Only part of the complex is protected and safe from demolition, the rest of the camp is due to be demolished in late 2012 early 2013.
