Mini Europe
October 18, 2006
Back in the days of communist propaganda, "Potemkin village" was a term used to describe the attempts of the Soviet government to fool foreign visitors. The government would take them to carefully chosen villages, factories, schools and neighborhoods, and make out they were typical, rather than exceptional, examples of what the state had to offer.
The district of Hellersdorf-Marzahn was probably never one of them. Tucked away on the outskirts of the former East Berlin, it's a typical example of grim, socialist housing and urban decay.
But now it's about to come into its own as a Potemkin village of a very artistic sort.
Trompe l'oeil
It's not the first time Berlin has tried to make Hellersdorf hip. The shopping mall near the subway station was built in the 1990s as part of the neighborhood's post-reunification makeover. And while it was going up, many of the grim high-rises surrounding it were being torn down, in an effort to revitalize this desolate suburb of eastern Berlin.
The ones that remain still look as drab as ever, but the latest innovation foresees revamping 64,000 square meters (690,000 square feet) of six residential blocks along the "Hellersdorf Promenade" with facades that recreate the look of traditional houses in European cities from Amsterdam and Warsaw to London and Lisbon.
According to its organizers, it will be the "biggest mural in the world."
The Europa quarter
Due for completion in 2008, a sneak preview of what the ambitious and atmospheric "Europa Quarter" will eventually look like is already available in the form of the "Hellersdorf House."
The artists commissioned to revive the district's flagging fortunes are the art collective "Cité de la Creation," whose frescoes are among the French city of Lyon's most popular tourist attractions.
The artists cite Mexican tradition as an inspiration, saying they base their work on the sort of arte muralista developed by Diego Rivera and describing urban renewal as their ultimate goal. With community their first priority, locals' own visions for the neighborhood are always integrated into the final designs.
The community spirit doesn't stop there. In Hellersdorf, the project is also designed to get out-of-work painters and decorators back in business and to offer young people an opportunity to gain some skills.
Theme park
Funding for "Europa Quarter" has been in place for several months. Austrian property giant Level One, which acquired the 100 high-rises, is willing to pour 15 million euros ($18.8 million) in their renovation -- one-third of which will be spent on the facades.
CEO Peter Brockhaus sees it as "an investment in the future," with the new-look neighborhood set to house European-themed specialty stores and eateries, such as tapas bars in Madrid, pasta restaurants in Milan and smart boutiques in Paris.
Hellersdorf is pinning its hopes on the mini-Europe. But will it take more than the world's largest mural to lure the tourists to the outer reaches of the German capital?