Stadtbad Wedding

The Stadtbad Wedding stands in the Gesundbrunnen district of Berlin, built in 1907–1908 by city architect Ludwig Hoffmann. It was one of several public baths constructed to provide hygiene and swimming facilities for workers living in tenements without bathrooms. The building originally housed two pools: the smaller for women and the larger for men, along with changing rooms and a baths section. Its design echoed the earlier Stadtbad Oderberger Straße, also by Hoffmann. After wartime destruction in 1945, the main building was rebuilt in the late 1950s with a modern glass facade and new technical systems. The smaller pool became a children’s bath complete with an elephant-shaped slide, while the brick wing with the large pool survived and reopened. In 1956 the site appeared as a film set for Die Halbstarken. After decades of use, the bath closed in 2002 due to structural and hygiene issues. Between 2009 and 2015 the building operated as the Stattbad Wedding, hosting art exhibitions, a skate park, studios and a bar. Renowned figures like musician Peaches and artists worked there, turning the former pool halls into galleries and event spaces. A hackerspace and temporary installations drew international attention. Plans to convert the large hall into a concert venue stalled, and in 2015 the site was closed and later sold for redevelopment into housing.