Ruins and dilapidated houses on the former military peninsula on Wustrow (Image: MRFilms/Adobe Stock)
One “cursed” area used by has failed any attempts at a re-vamp and remains “one of the most mysterious places in Germany” fit with secret military experiments, unexploded ammunition, and a bowling alley.
Visitors strolling along Wustrow’s scenic beach will encounter a fence concealing a ghost town abandoned in the 1990s. Venturing beyond the fence will bring you to an area of private property potentially laden with abandoned ammunition and chemical residue. Travel blogger The Digging Dog said: “It is probably the most desolated and mysterious piece of Germany’s coast line.”
The Wustrow military area (Image: MRFilms/Adobe Stock)
“The forbidden island is one of the most mysterious places in Germany and a relic from the second world war” that still presents “a danger to life,” shared TikToker .
The history fan said that from 1933 the Wermarcht – the unified forces of Nazi Germany – used the site as an anti-aircraft artillery training ground.
He continued: “The peninsula was a central location for the training of Luftwaffe artillerymen. Underground tunnels and bunkers bare witness the strategic importance of the peninsula when it was in military use. Not everything has been explored yet.
“There are reports of hidden treasures and secret military experiments. After WW2, the red army occupied the peninsula and used it as a military base until 1993.”
The island was transformed into a peninsula when a 700-meter spit was constructed, linking it to the mainland town of Rerik. However, storms in 1872 and 1874 breached the spit, temporarily reverting the peninsula back into an island until repairs were made. The peninsula spans an area of 10 square kilometres (3.8 square miles).
Ownership of Wustrow changed hands multiple times over the years through inheritance or sale. In 1925, Hans von Plessen became the owner, and in 1933, he sold the land to the German armed forces for 1.4 million marks.
Following the deal, construction of Germany’s largest anti-aircraft school began on the peninsula, with temporary accommodation set up for 350 inhabitants. By 1934, the barracks were completed, and administration officials moved into the former school.
DON’T MISS [WARNING] [EXPERIENCE]
German forces used the site as an anti-aircraft artillery training ground (Image: CPallaske/Creative Commons)
The site eventually housed 45 barracks, residential and farm buildings, and about 20 large halls for storage and vehicles. By 1937, the peninsula boasted 180 buildings serving various purposes. It was complete with amenities such as a cinema, swimming pool, and bowling alley.
The area was cordoned off by a high fence with barbed wire that extended far into the sea on either side of Wustrow, effectively isolating the peninsula from the outside world. All the farmers who had previously lived on the peninsula were relocated.
Beyond the fence, the Soviet garrison housed over 3,000 military personnel and their families. Interaction between the Soviet inhabitants and the locals was minimal, leaving little known about their time there.
Russian soldiers were compelled to abandon the Wustrow Peninsula in 1993 following the USSR’s collapse. The final residents vacated the garrison in October of that year, forced to cram their belongings, including larger items like televisions and sofas, into wagons.
With no use for the deserted military site, the state allowed the buildings to deteriorate. Former inhabitants who wished to return were informed that the land was too environmentally damaged to be habitable.
In 1995, the remaining structures were added to the list of protected monuments. However, they were later removed from this list in 1998 to facilitate the sale of the land to the Duren-based Fundus Group company.
The government had to shell out millions of euros to rid the land of unexploded ordnance. The Fundus Group, a luxury real estate firm, planned to construct a marina, golf courses, stables, hotels, and owner-occupied apartments to house 2,000 people.
Wustrow on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst in Germany on the Baltic Sea (Image: Getty)
Regrettably, the owner’s plans were thwarted when Rerik residents objected to the potential increase in traffic through their tranquil town, which would serve as the main access point to the peninsula. Consequently, they prohibited the owners from utilising the access road leading to the peninsula.
The Digging Dog, after speaking with locals, discovered that the local government was afraid of “a never-ending avalanche of traffic.”
In retaliation, the company restricted free access to the peninsula itself from September 2004. A variety of solutions have been proposed to alleviate the traffic concerns, including a shuttle service, speed limits, and even a tunnel, but none have been implemented.
Despite the presence of security patrols on the peninsula, some urban explorers still manage to infiltrate the area. From June 2018, the owner permitted tourist excursions across the island via a covered wagon, as it was deemed too dangerous for individuals to explore on foot due to the poor condition of the ground and unexploded ordnance. You can also catch a glimpse of the island from a boat at sea.