Säuglings- und Kinderkrankenhaus Weißensee

Säuglings- und Kinderkrankenhaus Weißensee History

This infants and children's hospital, designed by Carl James Bühring, opened in 1909 within the district of Weißensee, Berlin. It was the first communal children's hospital in what was then the state of Prussia, created to handle the steady increase in births around the city. In 1911, more buildings were constructed and the campus was reportedly akin to a peaceful public park. The hospital was soon hailed as one of the best of its kind, and became home to a training center for doctors and nurses. It had its own cow farm, dairy, and machinery to produce high quality milk for the infants who needed breast milk substitute, and for older children's nutritional needs. The farm closed in 1920, and a new infirmary was added in 1987.

The hospital closed its doors on January 1st 1997, and was eventually sold to a group of investors in 2006. Plans to build an alternative cancer center have been on the block since then, however no progress has been made. The estimated date for the new center to start construction is in 2011.