Michael Laschke | Wir sind viele. Leben in Berlin
Michael Laschke’s connection with Karlshorst began in 1961 when he was a student at the Hochschule für Ökonomie, where he would later teach as a lecturer. He has witnessed major changes to the neighbourhood, from the lifting of the military restricted area in 1963, to the upheaval following 1990, to the current boom in housing construction.
Wir sind viele. Leben in Berlin
The history of Karlshorst has been significantly shaped by the events of the 20th century. In 1920, the mansion colony, which previously belonged to the municipality of Friedrichsfelde, became a locality in the newly formed borough of Lichtenberg. After the end of the Second World War, a section of Karlshorst became the headquarters of the Soviet armed forces. The area was partially closed off and no longer accessible to the public. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the withdrawal of the armed forces of the Russian Federation in 1994, a new development trend began. Karlshorst’s green and rural character have made it a popular place to live within the city, increasingly attracting new residents and with them increasingly dense development.
In cooperation with the Karlshorst Cultural Centre KAHO, Berlin-based artist Sonya Schönberger has set out to find the traces of old Karlshorst. By interviewing long-term residents, as well as those who have moved in or out, she wanted to find out how these changes are reflected in the everyday lives of her subjects and how they themselves perceive these developments.