Marienfelde: Village Center, Nature and History

Marienfelde can be explored through three themes: its historic village center, the landscape of the open countryside and the history of the movement of people fleeing East Germany for West Germany. The village center is home to architectural history and rural traces; the open countryside focuses on habitats and bird species. The Marienfelde Refugee Center Memorial is dedicated to this movement in an exhibition. When planning your stay, you can decide whether architectural history, nature or contemporary history should be the focus.

Historic Village Center and Architectural History

Today, the village green in Alt-Marienfelde is one of the best-preserved village settings in Berlin. The village center includes Marienfelde Village Church, an architectural monument dating to 1229. The church features late Romanesque architecture and early Gothic additions. It is considered the oldest village church in Berlin to have been preserved continuously. Concerts are regularly held in the church.

The historic village center is also home to the Bauer Lehmann farm. Its residential building, built in 1844, has largely been preserved in its original condition. The farm’s stables house horses, goats and ducks. A vending machine is stocked daily with fresh free-range eggs. The village center is also home to the Zur Grünen Linde inn, built in 1830 and still operating as a traditional country inn. Both places reflect Marienfelde’s rural history, but show different aspects of village life: a farm with a residence and stables, and a historic inn.

Marienfelde Manor Park also has its own history. Adolf Kiepert laid it out after 1844; the park was enlarged again after 1865. Together with the village church and village green, it offers another historic point of interest for anyone interested in the development of the area.

Open Countryside, Recreation Park and Nature Trail

The Marienfelde open countryside is the last remnant of the agricultural land once widespread in the district. It is designated as a habitat rich in natural features and a breeding ground for rare bird species, including the red-backed shrike, skylark and crested lark. In Marienfelde Recreation Park, bodies of water, wooded areas and meadows provide a refuge for endangered animals, rare birds and protected plants. The open countryside and the park offer different ways to experience nature: the focus in the open countryside is on habitats and bird breeding, while the recreation park showcases the diversity of its landscape features.

A nature trail about 1.5 kilometers long, with nine information stations, runs through the western part of the recreation park. From April to October, Naturwacht Berlin e.V. offers guided tours, project days and information events at Marienfelde Nature Conservation Station, in the adjoining Marienfelde Recreation Park and in the Marienfelde open countryside. If you would like to take part in a specific activity, check its dates in advance.

Memorial Site and Routes Through Marienfelde

The Marienfelde Refugee Center was established in 1953. By 1990, 1.35 million people had passed through the center. The exhibition at the memorial site documents the history of the movement of people fleeing East Germany for West Germany across some 450 square meters. It includes more than 900 exhibits and covers the causes, course and consequences of this movement. Alongside the permanent exhibition, there are regular special exhibitions and a varied program of events and educational activities. If you plan to attend a specific event, it is advisable to check the dates before your visit.

The distances involved also offer different options for planning. The nature trail in the recreation park is about 1.5 kilometers long and has nine information stations. The Teltow Villages Trail is 48 kilometers long and runs from village to village through Zehlendorf, Lichterfelde, Marienfelde, Lichtenrade, Buckow, Rudow and Spindlersfeld in Köpenick. This gives you two different options: an information trail in the recreation park and a longer route through several places.

Discover more destinations: Buckow, Berlin-Reinickendorf, Friedenau, Grünau, Zehlendorf, Schöneberg, Hohenschönhausen, Marzahn.

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