Weekend excursion: Oranienburg - Schorfheide - Niederfinow ship elevator - Europe's largest ship elevator

"Weekend and sunshine
And then with you alone in the forest..."

The forecast for the weekend is for plenty of sunshine. Ideal conditions for a trip into the countryside. So Torgit and I set off to recapture my second home. As I lived in Berlin for fifteen years and in the neighboring district town of Oranienburg to the north, we want to explore the surrounding countryside from there. First we stop off at my friend Moni's house. The last time we visited, I accidentally put a spoon in my pocket. On the way, I realized that it wasn't made of silver. A good reason to bring it back. I'm sure some of you are wondering now. Why do you put a spoon in your pocket if you're not a kleptomaniac? - You won't believe it, but since I joined the WAGENVOLK, I've been carrying a fork and spoon, not forgetting my pocket knife, in my trouser pocket more often.

Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum

Then we drive through the city and out towards Lehnitzsee. The sun is shining brightly from the sky. - On Bernauer Straße, we inevitably pass the sign for the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum. The sun is fading. Although I have driven along here hundreds of times, I always ask myself the same question: how can it be that nobody wants to have known about it?

The Sachsenhausen concentration camp is not far away, but right on the edge of the town of Oranienburg. The former "officers' houses" and the adjacent tax office are located directly on Bernauer Straße. This is not just any small side street, but one of the two busiest main streets in the town. Where tax assessments are issued today, around one hundred National Socialist desk clerks "administered" 32 main concentration camps. A machinery of death. 

But the terror in Oranienburg began much earlier. The first state concentration camp in Prussia was set up in March 1933, centrally located in Oranienburg, just 200 meters from the Schlossplatz.

Even after the end of the war and the suppression of the Nazi regime, work continued in the Soviet occupation zone. Sachsenhausen became one of the so-called Soviet special camps. In No. 7 (later No. 1), 60,000 prisoners were barracked. 12,000 died of hunger and disease, including Heinrich George, a German actor and father of the actor Götz George.

That was only over in 1950. - Seventeen years of people dying in the middle or next door and nobody, almost nobody noticed? Even though the clouds of smoke from the crematoria allegedly hung over the city on a regular basis?

As you can see, my feelings about Oranienburg are divided. I have many good memories of the town, but also many "mixed" ones. - So I'm glad when we leave the city at the Lehnitzschleuse lock and plunge into the green of the woods.

Liebenwalde lock 

It takes a while, but the landscape that follows, with its sunny yellow fields and forests in dense green, gradually dispels the gloomy thoughts. We soon turn off in the direction of Liebenwalde. The road leads us towards the Upper Havel Lowlands. Forest and fields alternate. Time for a snack. For this purpose, we spontaneously turn left off the main road just before Sandberge. Here we head towards Liebenwalde lock. This is located at kilometer 45.3 of the Upper Havel Waterway. Just a few meters further on, we are standing right on the water's edge, looking out at the swans.

So we quickly throw the sheepskins on the grass, take out the boards and start eating. The site is not only beautiful, but also quiet. The body of water here is called the Malzer Kanal. It would certainly be possible to spend the night here. But we want to see a little more of the landscape. - 52°51'00.9″N 13°23'49.2″E

 Finowfurt Aviation Museum

We cross Lake Pechteich and approach the Schorfheide. But first we want to get to the Finowfurt Aviation Museum. For an entrance fee of €7, you can get a historical look back at the GDR on the edge of the former military airport. Several shelters, i.e. aircraft bunkers with reinforced concrete vaults and armored gates, form the backdrop. - We see a Tu-134, a twin-engine short-haul aircraft from the Soviet manufacturer Tupolev. Torgit is not yet sure whether she will take on the job of purser on board or sit directly in the pilot's seat. - The next aircraft is a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, a single-engine interceptor. - A Sukhoi Su-22 fighter-bomber and various engines are also on display. But we found Walter Ulbricht's Ilyushin Il14 the most exciting.

Among the military helicopters, I notice an Mi-8T. This was also used by the 239th Helicopter Regiment stationed in Oranieburg until after reunification. Various military and fire-fighting vehicles are also on display. You can even admire a Mig-21 fighter jet simulator. Everything looks a little dusty. But that is certainly part of it.

There is also an Antonov type An-2, which is not only the largest single-engine biplane in the world. The An-2 is one of the most built airplanes. But I associate it with something else. Such aircraft were often used as parachutes. I myself experienced various parachute jumps with it.

As you can see from the photos, I had a split opinion of the An-2. On the one hand, it looked rather frightening due to its misfiring and visual quality. On the other hand, this made it easier to get out. But either way, I didn't want to embarrass myself next to Kerstin, my pretty companion. When it came to daring things, my friend Michi couldn't be far away either. - So I always got out pithily.

eWerbelinsee and Schorfheide.

Next up is the Werbelinsee lake. This is located in the middle of the Schorfheide. At almost 10 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers wide, the Werbelinsee is quite impressive. Lake Werbelin has always been popular for swimming, boat trips and fishing excursions. We approach the lake from the eastern shore. Despite the fresh air, the adjacent mixed oak forest is simply breathtaking. We stop at a forest parking lot right by the water. According to Park4Night, you could also spend the night here. - But the site is too steep for us. The water is relatively warm and absolutely clear.

Diving at Werbelinsee:

There's a reason why I used to "dive under" here a lot. Not only because of the depth of almost 50 meters or the often good visibility. The reason is that there are quite a few wrecks here. The Dornbusch dive site, for example, is located diagonally opposite. The photo above shows me at this very spot. Here, at a depth of just over 30 meters, lies an old, approx. 30 meter long kaffir barge. Although the ship has been at the bottom for over 150 years, the red wood is still clearly visible. About two kilometers to the south is a second beautiful dive site. There are even several wrecks at the so-called Cape Horn. So there is plenty to see. However, I have to admit that it has become too cold and dark for me down there. Diving yes, but only under Caribbean conditions, please.

Niederfinow boat lift

The last stage of the day begins for us. It's off to the Finow.
We find our overnight accommodation just above the Niederfinow ship lift, the oldest ship lift still in operation in Germany. It is located at the eastern end of the Oder-Havel Canal and overcomes a height difference of 36 meters. The ageing boat lift is well worth a visit.

The successor is now being built right next to it. Newer may be better, but it is certainly not more beautiful.
Our pitch for the night seems to be well known. A number of anglers and campers stand here peacefully together. So if you're looking for a pitch near the boat lift, you'll find it here: 52°51'13.7″N 13°54'32.8″E.

Despite the gloomy thoughts in the morning, we had a sunny, peaceful day today. We enjoy the setting sun for a while and do a little beer tasting. Thanks to Kai Graf, who brought us a few bottles of beer to our meeting in Bergisches Land. - Our sleep is correspondingly good. 

The next morning also wakes us up with sunshine. - We have scrambled eggs with bacon and fresh herbs for breakfast. - A little treat from our new neighbors, Heidi and Peter, she from Hamburg, he from Berlin. Although we are standing on the Finow, "Your world is the mountains..." is constantly buzzing through my head. 

"...That's all I need to be happy
Weekend and sunshine"

Comedian Harmonists - Speaking of which, it strikes me how differently you can be influenced by music. In my youth, I had a friend Olaf. His father listened to the Stones. What did Junior listen to? The Stones too. - Back then, I wouldn't have dared to say I liked the Comedian Harmoists, which my old man used to sing in the shower at home. Nevertheless, Torgit is as surprised as ever at my confidence with lyrics.