
This was my first exploration with one of my coworkers.
The Skylark Drive In, in its original incarnation, opened in the 1950's, and closed in 1982 and lay unused.
This 275-car venue was re-opened in 2000 by Willie and Julie Greco. In 2012, it was announced that the drive in would close once again. The Grecos were leasing the land, but were never able to secure sufficient funding to purchase it. The owner is believed to have other plans for the land and chose not to renew the lease. To date, none of these plans appear to have materialized.
With Germany's quick victory over Poland, there was a division of territory according to an earlier agreement betweenĀ HitlerĀ andĀ Stalin. The eastern portion of Poland would be given to the Soviet Union. There would be a central buffer zone, and the western portion of the country would become part of Germany.
A complex of over 60 buildings, Beelitz-Heilstatten began life as a sanatorium in 1898. By World War I, however, it became a military hospital for the Imperial German Army, and would have the dubious distinction of treating a young Adolf Hitler in October and November of 1916 when wounded during the Battle of the Somme.
The Lowen-Adler Kaserne, or Lion-Eagle Barracks began in 1892 as a military training ground underĀ Emperor Wilhelm II. It was so named because it was technically two separate barracks, the Lion's Barracks for infantry training, and the Eagle's Barracks for artillery and later mechanized training.
Activity here began during the Prussian Empire. A military laboratory and testing site was constructed here as part of theĀ Kummersdorf Complex. In the early days, before the construction of facilities atĀ Peenemunde,Ā Wernher von BraunĀ began work on his rockets near here.
In November, 1938, approximately 500 maleĀ prisoners were sent from theĀ Sachsenhausen Concentration CampĀ to begin construction of Ravensbruck. Unlike other concentration camps being constructed, Ravensbruck was intended specifically for female prisoners.
One who follows history cannot possibly go to Germany without setting aside the time to visit at least one of the former Nazi camps. During our trip, we visited two in Germany, and two in Poland. This was the first we visited, which was fitting because it was, in fact, the first in the system of camps, and was intended to be the model by which the subsequent camps were to be made and operated.
The bakery was built in 1939 as one of many businesses to be run by the GermanĀ SS. Because the war was already making raw materials difficult to acquire, it didn't actually open until 1941.