Freibad Pankow

The Freibad Pankow is a summer lido in Berlin’s Pankow district. It opened in 1960 on land that once held a decaying indoor pool. The outdoor site stretches beside Wolfshagener Straße, with the old hall still visible among the trees. The pool’s history reflects East Germany’s Nationales Aufbauwerk. In the late 1950s citizens raised half a million Marks and gave 220 000 volunteer hours. Architects Heinz Graffunder and Walter Hinkefuß designed the complex, opened by Otto Grotewohl and Mayor Friedrich Ebert junior. After 1975 an indoor pool was added, later closed in 2001. A major renovation in 2000 replaced tiled basins with metal ones and added a 50-metre lane, a deep diving pool and a high-speed slide. Visitors now find a 50-metre swimmer’s pool, a shallow paddling area, a 7.5-metre diving tower and a multi-use basin with water jets. Metal slides include a fast tube, while a small wood cabin serves snacks. A separate fenced lawn allows textile-free sunbathing. The entrance sits about fifty metres uphill from the old hall, where temporary ticket cabins stand.