The Teufelsberg (German translation for ‘Devil's Mountain’) is a hill in Berlin, Germany. This artificial hill in former West Berlin territory rises 80 meters above the surrounding Brandenburg plain, north of the Grunewald forest. It was named after the Teufelssee (or ‘Devil's Lake’) situated in the southern vicinity.
(The tallest central tower of the Teufelsberg vicinity)
Over 20 years after the Second World War, the hill was heaped up using rubble of destroyed Berlin. All the debris from West Berlin had to be dumped within the western boundary. Due to the shortage of fuel in West Berlin the rubble transport stopped during the Berlin Blockade.
“The Hill†as it is more commonly known by American solders within Western Berlin, was situated within the British Sector. The United States NSA (National Security Agency) built one of its largest listening stations on top of the hill during the late 1950s, rumored to be part of the global ECHELON intelligence gathering network.
The station was built to try and listen to Soviet, East German, and Warsaw Pact nations’ radio military traffic. It was also used to supervise the West Berlin Air Corridors. It continued to operate until the fall of the Berlin Wall and East Germany. After that the station was closed and the equipment removed. The buildings and radar domes still remain in place.
Since then, various investors have looked into developing the building and surrounding areas, but was found that the area is burdened with a mortgage of approximately $50,000,000.
The site now stands as a testament to US activity within the Cold War.
Pictures:
(The tallest central tower of the Teufelsberg vicinity)
Over 20 years after the Second World War, the hill was heaped up using rubble of destroyed Berlin. All the debris from West Berlin had to be dumped within the western boundary. Due to the shortage of fuel in West Berlin the rubble transport stopped during the Berlin Blockade.
“The Hill†as it is more commonly known by American solders within Western Berlin, was situated within the British Sector. The United States NSA (National Security Agency) built one of its largest listening stations on top of the hill during the late 1950s, rumored to be part of the global ECHELON intelligence gathering network.
The station was built to try and listen to Soviet, East German, and Warsaw Pact nations’ radio military traffic. It was also used to supervise the West Berlin Air Corridors. It continued to operate until the fall of the Berlin Wall and East Germany. After that the station was closed and the equipment removed. The buildings and radar domes still remain in place.
Since then, various investors have looked into developing the building and surrounding areas, but was found that the area is burdened with a mortgage of approximately $50,000,000.
The site now stands as a testament to US activity within the Cold War.
Pictures:
