> Keith Haring in Berlin

All photos copyright by their respective owners.

In 1986 the Checkpoint Charlie Museum in West Berlin asked Keith to paint a 350 foot wall mural. It was a rousing media event. Writers from the New York Times, The Herald Tribune, Time and People Magazine, as well as, television networks from all over the world were there to get a glimpse of Keith at work. Keith spoke of this occasion for his authorized biography by John Gruen (Prentice Hall Press, 1991): “I decided on a subject, which is a continuous interlocking chain of human figures, who are connected at their hands and their feet –the chain obviously representing the unity of people as against the idea of the wall. I paint this in the colors of the German flag–black, red and yellow.” “When we return [the next day], someone has already begun to paint out part of what I’d done. The artist who did this is there, and he says that the wall should not be colorful or artistic. It should remain gray. Of course, what happens next is that most of my painting gets covered over, because now it’s become the most important painting to obliterate. I’m told there are only small fragments that remain as testimony of its former existence.”

  

© Keith Haring Foundation Archive 

 

  www.haring.com

> Spreepark plänterwald

All photos copyright by their respective owners.

Spreepark was an entertainment park in the north of the Plänterwald in theBerlin district Treptow-Köpenick (formerly part of theGDR-controlled East Berlin). It was also well known by its earlier name Kulturpark Plänterwald. The entertainment park was opened in 1969 as Kulturpark Plänterwald, covering an area of 29.5 hectares. The area is situated in the north of the Plänterwald, next to the river Spree. It was the only constant entertainment park in the GDR, and the only such park in either East or West Berlin. The VEB cultural park Berlin was completed in 1991 by mixed municipal authorities in Berlin. From seven applicants altogether the Spreepark Berlin GmbH company received the contract. Crucially, the references of Norbert Witte of the company were not properly checked. Under the Spreepark GmbH some new attractions were added and visitor numbers reached 1.5 million per annum. Later the concept was changed. The park was transformed gradually to a recreational park on a more western model. From now on an overall fee (adults: 29 DM, children: 27 DM) for admission and for all attractions was charged, instead of visitors paying an individual price at each ride, as had previously been the case. The asphalted surface around the Ferris wheel was taken up and converted into a water landscape. Roller coasters, two game water courses, a stage, a Western town and an English village were later added to the park. Since 1999 the park has had to cope with large debts. The increase in the admission fee to 30 DM per person and a lack of parking space contributed to a drop in visitor numbers until in 2001 only 400,000 visitors entered the park. In 2001 Spreepark GmbH announced that they were insolvent.  On 18 January 2002, Norbert Witte, together with his family and closest coworkers moved to Lima in Peru. They shipped six attractions (Fliegender Teppich, Butterfly, Spider, Baby-Flug, Wild River and Jet Star) in 20 ship containers, having been allowed to do so by the authorities who believed they were being sent for repair. Since 2002 the park has not opened for visitors. In August 2002 the park was declared completely insolvent. Debts at a level of €11,000,000 remained and the area was allowed to fall into disrepair. The Ferris wheel still stands, but has not operated since the park's closure, likewise, the remains of other attractions can still be found on-site. A scene for the 2011 action film "Hanna" was filmed at the park. Norbert Witte failed in his attempt to run a "Lunapark" in Lima. On 19 May 2004 he was sentenced to seven years in jail for attempting to smuggle 180 kg of cocaine with a value of £14 million from Peru to Germany in the masts of the Fliegender Teppich ("flying carpet") ride. In October 2006 a Peruvian court sentenced Wittes' son, Marcel Witte, to 20 years for drug smulling. Since 2011, guided tours have been offered to the public at restricted times. Text © Wikipedia