Fliegeberg

The Fliegeberg, also known as Lilienthal Hill, is an artificial mound about 12 meters (40 feet) high in Berlin's Lichterfelde district. The hill was built in 1894 by aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal, who used it for his glider flights. The mound was originally formed from the spoil of a nearby brickworks. After Lilienthal's death in 1896 and the closing of the brickworks, the grounds around the hill were turned into a park at the beginning of the 20th century. The former clay pit served as a carp pond, while an old brickworks building was converted into an excursion restaurant.

Between 1928 and 1932, the grounds underwent a comprehensive redesign under the direction of city building director Fritz Freymüller. Today they are known as Lilienthalpark and are listed as a garden monument. The hill was cleared of trees and shrubs and shaped into terraces. At the summit, a round colonnade was built, housing a monument in the form of a bronze sphere on a basalt block. This sphere was melted down during World War II, replaced with a stone sphere in 1955, and replaced with bronze again in 1990. Today the park is surrounded by residential development and offers visitors a circular path as well as a glimpse into the history of early aviation.