Fight for Karlshorst: Citizens' protest against residential construction on the trotting racing track!

Fight for Karlshorst: Citizens' protest against residential construction on the trotting racing track!

Trabrennbahn Karlshorst, Berlin, Deutschland - nag/nag editors -

The Karlshorst trot racing track, a relic from glorious times, is at the center of a heated dispute. Once a magnet for equestrian enthusiasts, the site is now a shadow of itself. The buildings are dilapidated, the number of visitors declining. Dimitrios Vergos, managing director of the equestrian sports park (PSP), which has been running the trotting racing track for two decades, describes the economic misery: "Immediately after the reunification, there were about a hundred racing days in Berlin, almost half of which in Karlshorst. This year there are only 14th" this year The Berlin courier reports that the future of the area should be secured by the construction of 500 apartments. Berliner Kurier .

But the plans encounter violent resistance. Citizens and the Karlshorst e.V. association are outraged by the planned development. "According to the higher -level land use plan, it should never be built in all of these places," emphasizes the club chairman Dr. Götz Frommer. The trotting racing track is a protected biotope and an important resort. The concerns are not new: As early as 2021, the Berlin Environmental Senate expressed doubts about the construction plans. But the former senator Andreas Geisel still drove the plans, which many perceive as explosive.

a controversial development plan

The new owners, including the brothers Eiken and Nils Albers, are planning a marginal development together with the district office of Lichtenberg. The concept provides to build residential buildings and commercial space in order to improve the economic location of the trotting racing track. Ver Vergos sees this: "A structuring for the whole area is created," he explains. But the critics suspect building execulation and warn of the consequences for nature and the common good.

The rbb District wants to secure and improve the environment and landscape qualities. Nevertheless, the skepticism remains great. The Karlshorst e.V. association doubts the actual participation of the population and calls for the preservation of the previous land use plan. "You cannot secure a green and sports area and build at the same time," says Frommer.

The future of the trotting racing track

Vergos hopes that the development plans will be implemented quickly to secure the financial future of the trotting racing track. "We have secured the next five years with the funds taken from the property sales," he says. But the question remains: Will the Karlshorst trotting racing track be another victim of urban development or can it be preserved as a historical and cultural heritage? The upcoming decisions will show whether tradition and progress can be reconciled.