Klingenberg Power Station (1927)

Symbol of Modernity and Economic Might – When it was built in 1927, Berlin’s first large power station was the most modern in Europe and inspired a new generation of power plants. It provided 65% of Berlin’s energy, using novel techniques like grinding coal to dust before burning it. Three large steam turbines produced the electricity. A cable bridge connects the transformer house (190 meters long) to the 11-story office building. Boats delivered coal directly to the power station via a canal connected to the Spree. The river also provided the water that was heated to create the steam. The power station is named for engineer Georg Klingenberg, who built a total of 70 power plants including the Charlottenburg Power Station [site 10 on Route 4]. The Klingenberg Power Station was profiled at the 1929 World’s Fair in Barcelona and featured in advertisements for the city of Berlin in the 1930s. It survived WWII intact. An SS plan to blow it up was averted, as was a later effort to dismantle it. Since 2017 it has burned natural gas instead of lignite.