Final Walk Headquarter of the American Forces Berlin Clayallee 1945 - 1994

Sabine von Breunig FINAL WALK HEADQUARTER OF THE AMERICAN FORCES IN BERLIN 1945 - 1994 1945-1994 The headquarter of the American Forces in Berlin was on of the most important centers of the Cold War. Here, important decisions were made, presidents were welcomed, agents trained, foreign spies questioned and negotiations with diplomats took place. After nearly fifty years of residency, the USA handed the headquarters back to the Germans, when they left Berlin in 1994. The main parts of the area have been lying idle since 1994. In May 2011, the five hectare property was sold for 15 million euro to an investor. The buildings are now remodelled into residential buildings. I was the last photographer to take photos at Clayallee. I think we have to remember history and I believe that, with the disappearance of the buildings, the memory will disappear as well. With my work FINAL WALK I want to give the viewer the opportunity to tell their own story and/or to reflect on their own state of mind through the work. 2010-2012 I took a series of photos in the former Headquarter of the Sowjets Troups in Germany. The area south of Berlin holds more than thousand buildings on over 900 hectares, it represents 100 years of military history. My book GEISTERSTADT (Ghost Town) was published in 2012.