LEISE PARK | quiet park

Leise Park is an oasis of overgrown trees and semi-private compartments where you can find benches, play structures, hammocks and a variety of plants. On the day I went to film, I saw a children’s birthday party in one corner, several mothers chatting in another area, and several people reading, sitting or strolling in the various corners of the space. There was a sense of privacy that is not possible on wide open spaces of many parks, yet it still felt communal.

The mothers smiled at me as I walked by and said something friendly in German, which I didn’t fully understand. My German is getting better but I still have a way to go.

In June, I had a conversation with Melina, a Berlin based video producer. She introduced me to the park (a new park, as it started in 2014) and its history.

In 2006 the Evengalical Church put this former cemetery up for sale. It was purchased by the Berlin Senate but residents from the neighborhood, to prevent the land from being developed, purchased the land. Working with the local elementary school and the Landscape Planning Office they developed the idea for the park.

Residents opted to preserve the overgrown character of the cemetery, as opposed to creating a polished feel like that of Gliesdreieck or some of the other new parks. It is a nice choice for design, as it feels very remote even though it is located in the middle of three quite busy streets.

This is a little gem of a park, although garbage collection is currently an issue. So if you go, please take out what you bring in.