"Berlin's Hidden Gem: A Symbol of Postwar History Faces Uncertain Future A small, unassuming traffic island in Berlin's Kreuzberg district has long been a source of fascination for locals and tourists alike. Dubbed the Treehouse at the Wall, this ramshackle two-storey structure has been a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of one man, Osman Kalin, a Turkish "guest worker" who in 1983 transformed a barren patch of no man's land into a thriving garden. But now, supporters are rallying to save the Treehouse from potential demolition, which they fear could erase a poignant piece of history. As the city grapples with the legacy of the Berlin Wall, the fate of this quirky landmark serves as a powerful reminder of the complex and often fraught relationships between Berlin's past and present."
Supporters fear structure could be torn down as safety hazard and want it to become memorial to postwar foreign labourers in honour of its Turkish creatorSometimes the currents of history converge in a single spot. In Berlin, one of the most intriguing of those places is a small traffic island with a lovingly tended garden and a ramshackle two-storey structure called the Treehouse at the Wall.In 1983, Osman Kalin, a Turkish “guest worker”, was looking in his corner of the city cleaved by the Berlin Wall for a patch of earth in which to plant his onions, garlic and cucumbers. Virtually on his doorstep in the Kreuzberg district was a slice of no man’s land next to the concrete barrier and barbed wire. Although it sat in West Berlin, cold war logic meant the lot officially belonged to the communist East. Continue reading...
