Abandoned Places

Prolog

Es gibt wenig Themen, die mich mehr faszinieren als die Vorstellung einer entvölkerten Erde. Verlassene Vergnügungsparks, menschenleere Innenstädte, einsame Wohnungen und Vogelgetwitscher zwischen Industrieanlagen – diese Bilder stahlen eine eigenartige Friedlichkeit aus und der Prozess, wie die Natur die Spuren der Zivilisation zurückerobert könnte nicht spannender sein.

Es gibt Orte auf der Welt, wo genau dies passiert. Ziemlich viele sogar, wenn man genauer hinsieht. Katastrophen wie in Chernobyl, politische Differenzen wie in Zypern oder wirtschaftliche Ursachen wie in den Vorstädten von Detroit sind die Gründe für solche Geisterstädte, die oft mit rasender Geschwindigkeit entstehen.

Hier dokumentiere ich diese Orte. Über Nachrichten und Kommentare und natürlich Ergänzungen per E-Mail freue ich mich. Übrigens: Literatur zum Thema ist auf meiner Liste dystopischer Bücher und Filme zu finden.

en: Abandoned Places Archive

My dear english readers: enjoy this list of my favourite links to websites about „lost places“. Some of them might be in German but it’s all about the pictures. For any comments just mail me.

Europa – Europe

  1. Chernobyl Scrap Meta „Hundreds of pieces of Russian army hardware is left on the small field right near to Chernobyl.“

Nordamerika – North America

  1. Panoramic photo of a ghosts street in Detroit „Last week I read in the morning paper about a street here where 60 out of 66 homes were vacant or abandoned on a single block. The reporter called it a „ghost street.“
  2. 100 Abandoned Houses „I actually began photographing abandonment in Detroit in the mid 90’s as a creative outlet, and as a way of satisfying my curiosity with the state of my home town.“
  3. Stores That Are No More Just.. well, stores that are no more.
  4. Henryton State Hospital „Henryton opened in 1922 to treat Tuberculosis patients and remained in use (in one form or another) until 1985 and has been abandoned ever since.“
  5. Five Amusement Parks that are No Longer Amusing „There’s something fascinating about large structures that have been completely abandoned. But abandoned amusement parks are especially creepy.“
  6. AMARC the biggest plane graveyard „Currently controlling over 4,200 aircraft as well as many other types of military equipment.“

Pazifik – Pacific

  1. Ruins and Ghosts of the Battle of Peleliu „Between September and November 1944, it was the site of an incredibly fierce battle between US and Japanese armed forces. Peleliu island is about 14 square miles of terrain; during the three months of fighting, the casualty rate worked out at just under 1,000 men killed per square mile of island.“

Asien – Asia

  1. 7 Lost Cities of India „Join Environmental Graffiti on a grand journey to visit the seven lost cities of India: you’ll learn about bustling sea ports, prosperous centres of trade, beautiful houses of worship and powerhouse capital cities of great empires.“
  2. Abandoned Boeing 747 Restaurant „The first Jumbo Jet to be flown commercially – rusting away, haunted by kitchen smells“
  3. Hotel Royal ruin „The Hotel Royal was hungrily looking to penetrate the lucrative love hotel market, but after functioning for what must have been a pathetically short period of time, it pulled out prematurely, apologised, and packed up — at least partially.“
  4. Mountain retreat ruin #1: Public places „The Japan BE Laboratory may well sound like a science-based business of some kind or other, but actually, this was instead centred around assisting those labelled as lacking in self confidence.“
  5. Mountain retreat ruin #2: Private places „However, damage and dodgy tonics aside, it’s obvious that the rooms were once quite fancy and fairly sizeable, with western or Japanese styles available.“
  6. Abandoned Amusement Parks in Asia „They may be closed, but they’re still a lot of fun!“
  7. Nitchitsu mining town haikyo #1: A visit to the doctors „Situated a good 3 hour drive from western Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture’s Nitchitsu mining town housed around 3,000 people at its peak in 1965, but now, any life is long gone, and the mountain’s iron and zinc remains unmoved.“
  8. Nitchitsu mining town haikyo #2: A day in the life „For the long gone residents of Nitchitsu mining town, the decidedly disturbing doctor’s office was definitely not the place to be, but for those well enough, there were predictably places of work.“

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