Abandoned Berlin: Olympic Village

I shot this set during the time in Berlin I was photographing various abandoned sites across Berlin for Urban Outfitters. Unfortunately this set didn't feature on the website so I thought it was about time I posted it here!

The Olympic Village housed athletes during the olympics held in Berlin in 1936.  The beginning of the site is like a museum, with information about the buildings and locked doors that required a guide. There were groups being guided around the village but my friend and I decided to venture around on our own with a map. Towards the back of the site the buildings were very open with large glassless windows which looked more like blocks of flats. We made sure we were unseen and climbed up inside one of the windows. Doors had been bashed in and it was incredibly easy to enter. As we were far away enough from the rest of the village it was very easy to be discrete. There were lots of smaller buildings around and it was very surreal and really had the feeling of being somewhere like Chernobyl.

Anna in the Woods

 After our shoot in Beelitz Heilstatten we took a bus to the village I lived in, called Kanin. It is surrounded by beautiful secluded forest scenery. Being back in the UK now has left me with such a desire to go back to Germany and keep exploring Europe and the world in general. SO much to see and so many wonderful people to meet.

Photos: Molly Caitlin Baber

Model: Anna Szczurek

Anna, in Beelitz

Ever since setting foot in Beelitz-Heilstatten, I knew I had to do a photo shoot there with a model. Unfortunately, as we tried to get into the buildings I'd been in previously, we found they'd all been fenced off for construction work. Luckily, the buildings around the train station still have very easy access and we were able to complete our shoot. Massive thank you to Anna who travelled from Berlin for the shoot, and was an excellent model!

Model: Anna Szczurek

Photographer: Molly Caitlin Baber