Lost Places in Germany: The most exciting ghost villages
There are many lost places. However, we're usually talking about individual buildings or abandoned company premises. What you probably didn't know: In Germany, there are entire villages that have become lost places . And there are quite a few of them. We'll introduce you to a few of them – and tell you why no one lives there anymore.
Even today you can imagine how idyllic Lopau must have once been.
Source: Lüneburger Heide GmbH www.lueneburger-heide.de
An old school, a church, a few houses, but not a soul in sight. Of the 200 former residents, none remain today. No one has lived in Lopau in the Lüneburg Heath for over 40 years.
In the past, around 200 people – and several animals – lived in Lopau.
Source: imago images/Arkivi
In 1983, the last residents left their homes. Why? Because the German Armed Forces opened a shooting range nearby – the village was simply too close. Today, Lopau lies within the Munster military training area. For precisely this reason, it's not that easy to visit Lopau. The ghost town is only occasionally open to the public – usually on weekends.
Google Maps: 53°03′17.2″N 10°12′09.3″E
Today, Lopau is part of a military training area and is only open to the public on selected days.
Source: Lüneburger Heide GmbH www.lueneburger-heide.de
Almost 80 years ago, dramatic scenes unfolded in the Bavarian-Bohemian border region. After the Second World War, several villages were razed to the ground. 800 people were displaced from their homes. Where life once bustled in several villages and industrial plants, moss and shrubs now grow.
The former Grafenried (Czech: Lučina) was one of these villages. It was located between the Bavarian Forest and the Bohemian Forest. Today it is located near the German-Czech border at the Untergrafenried border crossing.
Like Grafenried, the villages of Anger (Upor), Seeg (Pila), and Haselbach (Liskova) also suffered the same fate. All of them no longer exist today. Today, you can hike to the vanished villages and their remains. The Waldmünchen Tourist Information Center offers guided hikes to the vanished villages .
Another village that fell victim to World War II was Wollseifen. The reason: its proximity to the then Nazi Ordensburg Vogelsang. It was initially hit hard by artillery fire. But that wasn't enough. Shortly afterward, the residents were forced to leave their homes completely. After the war, British soldiers wanted to use the village as a training ground.
Wollseifen is located in the Eifel National Park and is now a popular hiking destination.
Source: imago images/sepp spiegel
The British occupiers gave the Wollseifen residents less than three weeks to pack their belongings. It wasn't until ten years later that the 550 former residents of what is now a ghost village received compensation for the loss of their homeland.
The old church still stands in Wollseifen – but as a ruin.
Source: imago images/sepp spiegel
You can also hike to Wollseifen. It is located in the heart of the Eifel National Park. It has not been used as a military training area since 2006.
Google Maps: 50.57975457868885, 6.424175061225385
The ghost town of Kursdorf in the north of Leipzig has only existed for a few years. No one has lived there since 2017. Its proximity to Leipzig/Halle Airport proved to be the village's downfall. A large portion of its former 200 residents are being relocated to accommodate the airport's expansion.
In 2008, around 40 people still lived in Kursdorf – surrounded by the airport, ICE train and motorway.
Source: imago stock&people
In 2008, 40 people refused to leave their homes. They lived in the middle of the airport area. Later, Kursdorf had only ten residents. By 2015, only one. Since 2017, no one has lived in Kursdorf. Almost all of the buildings have since been demolished. Except for those listed as historical monuments. These can still be seen today.
Wünsdorf's history has always been linked to the military. Today, the village is primarily a relic of the Cold War. What looks so inconspicuous today was once the headquarters of the Russians in the GDR: Wünsdorf, the "forbidden city" in Brandenburg, south of Berlin.
Wünsdorf was the former headquarters of the Russian garrison in the GDR. Today, many of the buildings are abandoned.
Source: imago/Jürgen Ritter
How did this come about? As early as the 19th century, the village was used as a firing range by the Prussians. During World War II, the village served as camouflage for underground bunkers that had been built beneath it.
After the end of the war, Wünsdorf fell under Soviet occupation and became the headquarters of the Soviet Military High Command. A daily train to Moscow departed from Wünsdorf station. Since the Red Army withdrew in 1994, some barracks have stood empty. Others have been converted into residential buildings or government offices.
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