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09

Kolle 37

PRENZLAUER BERG

It’s difficult not to do a double take at the wooden towers that teeter precariously above a rudimentary perimeter fence along Kollwitzstrasse. The casually constructed shacks, nailed haphazardly together by hammer-wielding children, testify to a markedly different spirit than the fashion boutiques, organic delis and expansive 19th-century apartments that otherwise line this handsome Prenzlauer Berg street.

Founded directly after the Wall fell by a group of open-minded parents, this Abenteuerspielplatz (adventure playground) allows kids aged 6–16 to experience some of life’s more ‘dangerous’ elements, harking back to the city’s post-Wende milieu, which generally favoured free-spirited exploration and cavalier experi-mentation over killjoy health and safety measures. Apart from using saws and hammers to build imaginary huts and fortresses, kids can also build their own fires and cook their own food; they can tend to their own gardens, make pottery (and fire it in a kiln) and practice blacksmithery in a forge.

Funded partly by the district of Pankow (of which Prenzlauer Berg is a part), the project employs four teachers and several craftsmen whose role is merely to supervise from a distance. And – what do you know? – instead of their time here ending in broken limbs, veils of tears and ambulance rides, children are introduced to the timeless values of teamwork, trust and responsibility.

The fun continues into the evenings too, as the main house hosts everything from workshops and cultural events to lectures and music rehearsals. And for smaller kids, there’s a special area next door that has rabbits and guinea pigs to pet and poke, a water fountain to splosh around in, and a great café offering drinks, snacks and a ‘waffle buffet’ on Sundays. In contrast to the main activity area next door and events such as the annual hut-building festival held after each Easter weekend, parents are even graciously tolerated here…as long as they behave themselves. PS

Kollwitzstr. 35, 10405; U Senefelderplatz; www.kolle37.de

Map: North F2