Kulturpark Plänterwald was abandoned after its last owner used it as a front for a cocaine-smuggling enterprise. Norbert Witte attempted to smuggle 181 kilos ($16 million) of cocaine from Peru to Berlin, hidden in the masts of The Flying Carpet ride. He was jailed for eight years and his theme-park decayed.
I had heard the rumors about Spreepark's haunted rides. So it was no surprise to find the old ferris-wheel turning in the wind when we climbed the forbidden fence and commando-rolled into the park. The wheel made a sound like a constant, melancholic screaming: The soundtrack to our following adventure.
This rusted, East German amusement park has an interesting history. Kulturpark Plänterwald had 1.7 million visitors a year at its most popular. And, as the park expanded, canals were dug, a man-made lake with a pirate ship appeared, The 'Grand Canyon' log flume ride was built and a 'Wild West' area was constructed. This had its own bank, saloon and casino. Here, stuntpeople would fight each other for the pleasure of the guests.
We walked deeper into the dead zone:
At this point, we saw brutish men clearing undergrowth in the distance. heard hunting dogs and the scuffle of booted-feet. Fearing the wrath of security guards potentially still employed by an international cocaine dealer, we climbed back over the fence to returned to the non-haunted urban expanse of Berlin's city streets.
The screams of the ferris wheel still haunt my dreams.