Demolition of Berlin's Worst Remaining Ruins Halted for a Second Time due to Sparrow Alarm
A tenement building on Burgsdorfstraße, located near the Berlin SPD headquarters (Müllerstraße), has remained inaccessible since 2017 due to collapse risk. The building's demolition, however, has been delayed due to the bird breeding season, with house sparrows and starlings making their homes in the ruin from March to August.
The district has closed the street for safety reasons as parts of the facades have crashed onto the sidewalk. Pedestrians have been able to pass on the opposite side of the closed street for years, and the demolition of the building can only be done from the outside, making it inaccessible.
Resident Youssef Bassam, owner of a barbershop, has seen a decrease in business due to the street closure. Environmental activists, like those who stopped the demolition of a tribune in Prenzlauer Berg in February, have not yet voiced their opposition to the tenement building's demolition.
The building has been neglected by its elderly owner, and heavy locks barricade the entrance to the staircase. To ensure the safety of any potential inhabitants, a special crane with a 24-meter boom had to be ordered again for the demolition of the tenement building.
In an effort to provide alternative accommodations for starlings, the Senate's building administration hung nesting boxes. Construction works were allowed to continue after the starlings moved into the boxes. The demolition of the house sparrows' nests, however, is prohibited during the bird protection period until 30 September.
The district spokesperson, Sczodrok, expects the actual demolition work to start around mid-August, marking the end of the bird breeding season. As the birds fly away, the demolition of the tenement building will finally commence, bringing an end to the long-standing inaccessibility on Burgsdorfstraße.
The residents in the neighborhood are eager for the renovation of their homes, as the neglected tenement building on Burgsdorfstraße has been a safety concern and an eyesore for years. To complement their homes, some might consider incorporating elements of environmental science into their home-and-garden lifestyle, such as setting up nesting boxes for birds like house sparrows and starlings. This would not only help in creating a harmonious co-existence with nature but also contribute positively to the overall environmental-science landscape of the area.
![Video Explanation: An Overview of Explainer Videos [Including Examples and Definition]](/en/content/images/size/w1280/format/webp/20250721153209_explainer-video-examples-meaning.jpeg)
