I visited Spree Park on a sunny day with friends from home.

We recognized the location from, maybe embarrassingly, a lot of films and that is why I steered us there. We were hoping to get to explore the abandoned rides, but the park was overgrown, often dismantled, and fenced off by a tall fence. Built by the GDR and opened in 1969, it was one of the few entertainment destinations in East Germany.

The Ferris Wheel is the clear eye-catcher, peeking above the trees In view quite a ways west up the Spree river. When we finally entered into the forgotten park, we could see that the wind was moving the wheel squeakily. How satisfyingly eerie. I pushed my phone through the fence to capture a video of the motion. I think I could be YouTube famous if I play my cards right:

My friend Jan told me that the automatic motion of the Ferris Wheel has attracted lots of trespassing riders, who have many times become stuck up high in the air when the wind stopped mid-ride. I can’t stop thinking of trying to anyway.