Left in ruins

Prater survived the major bombing raids virtually untouched. The Soviet military administration ordered the opening of a cultural establishment in Prater, and the first hungry dancers and clowns appeared as early as the summer of 1945.

Berlin’s Volksbühne moved to Prater in 1946. This was before the renovation of the Volksbühne theatre, which still stands at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz.

Advert in a boxing magazine from 1948

The premiere of Maxim Gorky’s play »The Lower Depths« was completely sold out. The public was eager to see both theatre and actor Ernst Busch. Burlesque shows and cinema were also on the schedule, specifically those with the appropriate class loyalty.

The two Ernst Thälmann films made by DEFA, the East German film studio, premiered in Prater. The governing Socialist Unity Party (SED) and the Socialist German Workers Youth held conferences. Enormous amounts of concrete were used to erect an outdoor stage.

The beer garden developed its own dynamic existence. People came to sit and to dance outdoors. In 1967, Prenzlauer Berg’s city council decided to name Prater a district cultural institution.

Surprisingly the gastronomic arm of Prater wasn’t managed like a regular restaurant business. Because of its unusual setup the waiting staff and chefs were employed as cultural sector workers, escaping the iron grip of the restaurant regulators.

Boxing event
in the 1970s

Various arts and crafts developed in the garden’s outhouses. It included pottery and music in many guises. Zantke’s earlier-mentioned Prater history said that »folk art creators from the zone found a place to practice and perform.«

On Wednesdays a three-man combo played at an old folk’s dance. There were soapbox races, boxing tournaments, and children’s festivals. Every Sunday the high-decibel »Sunday Melody« radio broadcast tested the patience of the neighbors.

First day letterhead
from 1984

Alongside German-Soviet Prater festivals, and other Soviet zone events, alternative art forms also found a space in Prater towards the end of the East German regime.

Artists got together for heavy drinking sessions in the beer garden after openings in Prater Gallery.

Deeper political significance can be attached to the legendary production of the Zinnober theatre group, which was banned by the communist party in the area. But the most popular cultural attraction was beer drinking, which always drew the biggest crowds.