Spanning the approximate size of London’s Hyde Park, Berlin’s Tiergarten Park is spread over 519 acres. The terrain was originally the 17th century hunting grounds of Friedrich III, the Duke of Prussia. The gardens were redesigned on several occasions evolving into a public park during the early 19th century. The park currently features numerous recreational attractions, concerts and is an integral part of Berlin history. During the coal shortages following World War II, the forests were nearly eliminated. Replanting began in 1949.
The grounds feature numerous traditional memorials, but two particularly unique. The first is the metal sculptural installation representing an enclosed closet honoring homosexuals victimized by persecution. The other is a series of white crosses attached to fencing memorializing victims who were murdering during the Cold War attempting to escape from the Eastern sector to the West.
