Thursday, November 6
One of the first gates with a turnstile was installed on Wednesday at the entrance on the corner of Görlitzer Straße and Görlitzer Ufer. A new metal fence borders the bushes along the park edge for several hundred metres at Wiener Straße.
Construction began in June, and the first metal fences have been standing for several days. The Senate Department for Transport and Environment confirmed the work is on schedule and should be finished in December.
The conservative-social democratic Senate approved the fence construction summer 2023, due to the high number of crimes in the park. Some residents, left-wing initiatives and the Greens in the district oppose the closure, fearing a relocation of drug dealing into the surrounding residential areas.
According to tender documents, 16 steel gates are planned, plus eight large turnstiles in vandalism-proof design. Additionally, 300 metres of fencing will be added to close gaps in the existing two kilometres of walls and fences.
Once all fences and gates are complete, the park will be closed at nighttime. Planned closing times are between 10pm and 6am in winter, and from 11pm in summer. Both the Senate and police are trying to curb widespread drug dealing and other crimes in the park.
Crime statistics show registered offences in Görlitzer Park dropped significantly last year. Berlin police recorded 936 criminal offences within the park in 2024, down from 1,373 in 2023. Nevertheless, no other Berlin green space recorded more crimes in 2024 than Görlitzer Park.
