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German and Soviet Military Traces in Jüterbog

CarloRLeave a comment

The area around Jüterbog, about 1 hour and 15 minutes south of Berlin by car, has enjoyed a long military tradition, dating from the years of the Kaiser and WWI, through the Third Reich and all the more than four decades of the Cold War, until the departure of the Soviet Army in the early 1990s.

Almost for the entire duration of the 20th century, the area has been scattered with barracks, immense training grounds, shooting ranges, officer’s houses, army administration buildings, technical depots, airports and military academies.

The town of Jüterbog is actually much older than the 20th century, but the Soviets, who grew to a much greater population than the Germans in town after 1945, did not pay much attention to this nice medieval town. Following their withdrawal and the end of all military operations around, the town center received substantial money for restoration from the Government of reunified Germany, and the result is really remarkable – Jüterbog is today possibly one of the most lively and nice-looking centers in the region, with medieval towers, gates and churches, hotels, restaurants and bright-painted houses all around.

However, one hundred years of military activities in this province could not be wiped out at once, and despite nature is now invading the old army premises after operations ceased, to a careful eye the heritage of the German and Soviet Armies stationed there can be spotted quite easily, immediately out the lovely historical town.

Perhaps the most prominent witnesses of the past activities are the old flight academy, installed in the Third Reich years and later employed also by the Soviets, who got control of the area after they arrived in 1945, and kept it even after the foundation of the GDR and the corresponding Armed Forces (i.e. the Nationale Volksarmee, or NVA). The flight academy is today a listed building, despite in a state of partial disrepair. Another example is the big airbase of Jüterbog/Altes Lager, which went on operating as an NVA and Soviet airbase until the very end of the Cold War, and is now being used as a sport airfield, a kart circuit track, an event venue and a solar power plant.

Both these two items are covered in another chapter.

In the following report, more locations in and around Jüterbog are pinpointed, photographed during two visits, partly guided by the knowledgeable Dr. Reiner Helling, in the Summer seasons of 2021 and 2022.

Heading to Berlin or the former GDR? Looking for traces of the Cold War open for a visit?

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Sights

The material in this post covers ‘Shelter Albrecht’, a one-of-a-kind private collection of items from WWII and especially from Soviet times, more views of the former airfield of Altes Lager, with a Granit bunker still in very good conditions, an abandoned military hospital with evident traces of Soviet operations, a Soviet cemetery, and a few more items, silent and overlooked witnesses of a recently bygone era.

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Shelter Albrecht

The airbase of Jüterbog/Altes Lager was selected by the Soviets for further development with the arrival of jets in the late 1940s-early 1950s, and grew to be a prominent attack aircraft and helicopter base in the territory of the GDR. Now reduced in size to the point that some taxiways have been turned into public roads, some of the incredibly many aircraft shelters originally in place in the peripheral parts of the base – mostly AU-16 – have been wiped out. However, a set of two to the east of the runway have been spared this fate, and have been redeemed by a private business. One has been turned into a venue for events, whereas the other has been employed to showcase a great collection of WWII and Cold War memorabilia. Actually, the two hangars are located inside a somewhat larger perimeter, with an original technical building and room for even more exhibits.

A first impressive sight is the original Soviet scheme of the base. Similar signs were typically put close to the gate of any Soviet base (as seen for instance here in Ribnitz/Damgarten), and with their Russian writings today they witness the Soviet tenancy of the base.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

On the apron, an original military version of the ubiquitous Trabant, in army green color, is on display together with a field kitchen and a gigantic roadwork machine. The latter is Russian made, with tank tracks, and powered by a 12-cylinder Diesel engine.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

A Mil Mi-2 helicopter, which for some hard-to-imagine reason had ended up on the Adriatic coast of Italy in a private collection, where it sat almost derelict, has been brought back to the other side of the Iron Curtain, and restored in a camo coat and placed in a prominent position. Not far, a wing from an old Lavochin La-5 Soviet aircraft can be found.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Still on the open air exhibition are a decorated panel once gracing a Soviet hospital – possibly the one described later (here) – and another celebrating the Warsaw Pact. But the exhibits are really countless, and include propaganda posters, and canisters for ordnance.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

To the side of the main exhibition hangar, in the area of an interred fuel tank once serving the base, is an incredible set of Soviet panels, originally from this or other Soviet bases around. These panels are partly decoration/celebration signs, with portraits of Soviet soldiers and emblems.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Other are technically-themed, with explanations concerning driving habits and rules, hand-to-hand combat, and more. Similar items, including fake targets for assault training, can be found for instance in Forst Zinna, an abandoned Soviet base not far from Jüterbog (covered here).

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Also part of the collection is a rare mural, apparently retracing the push to the west of a Soviet division (?) during the Great Patriotic War.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Inside, the aircraft shelter is stuffed with interesting memorabilia. From WWII, exhibits include remains of downed aircraft, including damaged engines, propellers and canopies. Among them are remains of an Avro Lancaster, a Focke-Wulf 190, a Junkers Ju-87 and the canopy of a pretty rare training (two-seats) version of the Messerschmitt Bf-109.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Four large scale models cover as many interesting sights around. The first is the former flight academy of the Third Reich (mentioned above and covered here), north of the Altes Lager airbase premises. Also on display are books and furniture originally from the library of the academy.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

A second model portrays the entire area between the academy (north) and the airfield (south), including the latter. This area, now largely shrouded in the trees and partially in private hands, used to host technical installations and even factories connected with warfare business – all linked by an extensive network of roads and railways.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Another model is that of two airship hangars from the years of German tenancy. These had to be really huge, but are today completely gone. Among the factories in place in the area, were those for supplying gas for the airships.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Finally, a fourth scale model represents the older airfield of Jüterbog/Damm. The latter is not far from Altes Lager, and is today in private hands for some cattle breeding business. It features very peculiar concrete hangars, an interesting specimen of Third Reich construction engineering. Some aerial pictures can be found here. That airfield was not selected for further development by the Soviets, due to the limited potential for runway lengthening, in turn due to the proximity with Jüterbog town.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Soviet-related items on display range from painted tables, originally gracing the walls of the base, to technical signs in Russian, to a full array of personal and military items, all belonging to the Soviet staff stationed in Jüterbog. These include an interesting overall map of the Soviet airfields on GDR territory, with basic technical data.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Among the highlights, an official printed portrait of Stalin, and one of Brezhnev in a military uniform, parachutes and parts from attack aircraft, many direction signs and instructional panels for low-ranking military staff. Also very interesting is a radar scope with the three air corridors to West-Berlin and the position of Altes Lager printed on it!

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Of special interest for aircraft enthusiasts are many pictures from the days of operation of the airbase, with many exotic Soviet aircraft seen landing, departing or taxiing around.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Other panels tells about the presence of rocket forces in the area of Jüterbog – in particular the 27th R.Br. of the NVA. They operated the SCUD-B system.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Back outside, the exhibition is completed by an original monument from Altes Lager, often employed as a background for official ceremonies, and more personal memorabilia of the owner of the museum, formerly serving within a tank division of the NVA.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection

Reconstructed shops and schools are on display, with much original furniture and everyday items of Soviet make.

Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Shelter Albrecht – Jüterbog – Altes Lager – Soviet Cold War and WWII memorabilia collection
Getting there and Visiting

The place is really worth a visit for everybody interested in memorabilia items from Soviet times, or for those looking for tangible traces of the military past of Jüterbog. The location is easy to reach by car, with a convenient internal parking. The address is Niedergörsdorfer Allee 4, 14913 Niedergörsdorf, Germany.

An updated official website with opening times is apparently not available. However, Mr. Helmut Stark, the owner of the place, may be contacted beforehand (in German only) to inquire about opening times and plan a visit – try Googling his name and that of the site for updated contacts. The place is regularly open at least in the weekends in the warm season. A visit to this site will be likely with Mr. Stark following you and giving explanations in German. This will take about 45 minutes.

Granit Bunker and Hangars in Jüterbog/Altes Lager

Some views of the Altes Lager airbase are provided in this chapter, and some aerial views can be seen here. The huge, flat-top hangars date from the Third Reich era, and similarly the control tower with its annexes. Some of the hangars were reportedly dismounted by the Soviets and taken to the Soviet Union soon after the end of WWII.

Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads

Besides all the aircraft shelters scattered all around the runway, a relevant and pretty secluded Soviet addition north of the airfield is a Soviet Granit-type bunker. This type of bunker was among the lightest in Soviet inventory, and could serve multiple purposes, e.g. storing movable radar trucks, tanks, other machinery, or weapons. Actually, its presence on an airfield may suggest the purpose of storing special air-dropped weapons, maybe tactical nuclear, high-explosive or chemical ordnance.

Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads
Jüterbog Altes Lager Abandoned Soviet Base Bunker Granit Cold War Nuclear Warheads

Bunkers of Granit-type are possibly the most frequent special constructions in former Soviet bases (see for instance here or here), but the one in Jüterbog is interesting since it is very well conserved, and its massive metal doors are still perfectly in place, providing a nice impression of how this technical item should have looked like in the days of operation.

Getting there and Visiting

The airport of Altes Lager is today pretty busy, with several companies having taken over much of its original premises now open for business. Multiple access points are available, and chances of looking inside the original installations are many. Given the still exceptional state of conservation of the Granit bunker, in order to protect this rare historical artifact from the impressive hordes of catatonic idiot spoilers and writers out there, no indication is provided on its exact location.

Military Hospital

Among the buildings now shrouded by the overgrown vegetation in the area between Jüterbog/Altes Lager airfield and the town of Jüterbog is a sizable military hospital. Totally invisible from the road, the hospital is basically made of a single, building featuring three long interconnected rows.

It is made of the typical German dark-red brick, a design which is way too elegant for Soviet occupants. The arrangement of the facade and the nice railings suggest a construction date from the years of the Kaiser and the German Empire, maybe early 20th century.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

However, the years of Soviet use are witnessed by a big mural, portraying Lenin with some Soviet soldiers in the background, with a black and yellow striped ribbon and a red star, emblems of the Red Army.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

To the more careful eye, a few graffiti in Russian can be found here and there, with a date as usual.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

The aura is very silent and mysterious, and as such, this location is a mecca for urban explorers. Actually, the only noise came from a fast spinning ventilation fan in a window frame! This was pushed by an air stream however, not likely by a motor…

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic

Some more buildings complete this complex, and original GDR-style lamps can still be seen around – the tall trees now surrounding the building were likely not in place when the hospital was closed, presumably in the early 1990s.

Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Jüterbog Niedergorsdorf Altes Lager – Abandoned Military Hospital – Soviet Relic
Getting there and Moving around

Not difficult to find in the trees between Jüterbog and the airfield of Altes Lager, there is no clear interdiction sign to access this complex from behind, yet vibration sensors planted in the ground can be spotted around, and some security cars can be seen sometimes parked on the main road. A walk around the hospital is not especially dangerous nor difficult, and may take about 25 minutes taking all the pictures. The building is architecturally nice and possibly listed. Yet it is in partial disrepair and largely sealed, and getting in is obviously not advisable.

Soviet Cemetery

The only relic of the years of Soviet occupation which is immediately visible to the general public in Jüterbog is the Soviet military cemetery. This is located to the back of the Liebfrauenkirche, in the historical center of Jüterbog.

Actually, a monumental part, with railings embellished with hammer and sickle emblems and a monument with writings in German and Russian to the back, is detached from the church yard.

Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof

However, possibly in later times, the limited space available in the lot originally planned for the monument meant some graves were dug right in the church graveyard, side by side – but not mixed – with German graves.

Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Jüterbog Soviet Cemetery Friedhof
Getting there and Visiting

The exact address is Am Dammtor, 14913 Jüterbog, Germany. The place is well-kept, being part of the historical city center of Jüterbog. Parking opportunities all around on the street. A visit may take 10 minutes.

Railway Yard, School and Command Building

The town of Jüterbog acted as a ‘local capital’ for the many Soviet troops and their families scattered in the corresponding district. The hospital (see above) was not the only large installation in place. A district school was also installed, which served not only the very town of Jüterbog – with a Russian-speaking population of more than 70.000, greater than the German nationals – but also the residing Soviet population of smaller technical installations in the area. A notable example is the impressive nuclear depot in Stolzenhain (see here), where a dedicated staff and their families occupied four residential blocks now gone. Their children reportedly attended school in Jüterbog.

The school is today largely abandoned, and a quick tour around reveals typical Soviet decorations in the large sporting hall.

Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic
Jüterbog Soviet School Abandoned Cold War Relic

The school building is geographically close to the railway station. The latter had a passenger terminal dedicated to the Soviet population, which was completely segregated from the German one.

Furthermore, the railway in Jüterbog had also a primary logistic function, connected with the military activities going on in the area. Besides transporting tanks, vehicles and other material, also nuclear warheads arrived by rail from Belarus or Ukraine (both in the USSR at the time), for storage in the Stolzenhain Monolith-type bunkers (see here). A special railway track with a dead end in the trees featured a special interchange platform, allowing to move the sensitive warheads in their controlled canisters to trucks, and by road to Stolzenhain – usually at night. Since warheads were also sent back for maintenance or overhaul, the transport operated also in the opposite direction.

Jüterbog Railway Track Station
Jüterbog Railway Track Station

Very close to the railway station and the school is also a large grassy area, surrounded by a nice, old-style metal fence. This area is that of an older training ground, dating to the years of the Kaiser. A command building, now in disrepair, betrays the same origin, featuring decorations in a typical old-German style.

Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Jüterbog Command Building Abandoned Relic
Getting there and Moving around

The school can be found in Jüterbog here. Cross the street from the school, the old training grounds and command building are immediately spotted. Walking north past the command building, you get access to a pedestrian bridge over the railway tracks, with a nice view of the station. An exploration of the railway tracks has to be considered extremely dangerous, since the railway line there is today a high-speed one, with bullet-fast trains appearing in just seconds. A walk around this spot in Jüterbog may take 15 minutes. Parking opportunities ahead of the command building.

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The Aeronautical Museum of Belgrade

CarloRLeave a comment

With a few parallels in aviation history, especially in the years immediately following WWII, former Yugoslavia benefited from supplies by a great number of countries. As a matter of fact, the air force of this newborn communist republic was formed at first from leftovers of retreating Germany and conquering Britain, followed by the establishment of a supply line initially from the USSR, and later the US and again Britain.

The special political ability of marshal Tito, who ruled uncontested as a communist dictator since the foundation of Yugoslavia in 1945 until his death in 1980, and the credit he benefited from especially in Britain, allowed him to keep out of the sphere of influence of the USSR since 1948. In a strategic position on the border with NATO countries like Italy and Greece, Tito adopted a detente policy of ‘equal-distance’ between the two opposing blocs over the Cold War period (even though NATO did not trust him fully, as testified by the deployment of a SAM defense line in northeastern Italy, see this post).

Of course, most of the military supply was of Soviet make, especially after the death of Stalin and well until the end of communism in Europe and the bloody fragmentation of the Yugoslav state. However, concerning civil aviation, autonomy from Moscow allowed the adoption of western aircraft, like the French Aerospatiale Caravelle and much of the Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas inventory, in the major national airline JAT – something which happened very rarely anywhere in the communist bloc over the years of the Cold War, another notable instance being Romania, again a ‘semi-autonomous’ communist dictatorship, who refused the Soviet Tupolev Tu-134 in favor of license-built British BAC 1-11s.

Another effect of the autonomy from the USSR was the creation of a national aviation industry, which especially in the case of SOKO, produced military trainers and light attack aircraft of good success, which despite ageing, are still flying today.

More recently, the fierce conflicts raging over the Balkans in the 1990s have created a major active front for modern aviation, where the air force of Serbia – which inherited the geographically central part of Yugoslavia and its capital city, Belgrade – confronted the NATO alliance in an open conflict. The unbalance of forces allowed the western coalition to quickly establish air superiority, which did not come without a few notable material losses however.

A rich display of this peculiar aviation history, actually tracing back to WWI and the early years of aviation, can be found in the Aeronautical Museum of Belgrade, which despite being in today’s Serbia, acts as a kind of Yugoslav Aviation Museum. As a matter of fact, it was founded as such back in the years of Tito, and opened in its current building nearby ‘Nikola Tesla’ civil airport of Belgrade in 1989, when Yugoslavia was still a reality.

This short post provides an outline of what you can find in this museum, with photographs taken on a visit in April 2019.

Sights

The museum occupies a relatively large area in the vicinity of the airport of Belgrade, and is made of an open-air exhibition, open-air storage area, and big mushroom-shaped building hosting an indoor exhibition.

The ‘gate guardian’ is a SOKO J-21 Jastreb, a nice light multi-role aircraft from the 1960s, powered by a British Rolls-Royce Viper jet engine.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Indoor exhibition

The entry hall of the mushroom-shaped building features is a good example of the architectural style from the late communist era. The ground floor hosts a small exhibition about the early days of aviation in the former region of the Balkans, with documents from WWI years. Among the items on display, you can find early pilot’s licenses from notable war pilots, likely granted after training abroad, and actually written in French.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

The main hall of the museum can be found upstairs. This large can be walked on two levels. Most aircraft are to be found on the lower level, but a few are suspended to the glassy circular sidewall of the mushroom, lighted from behind by the sunlight – so that taking pictures is just a nightmare!

The centerpiece of the collection is an exemplar of the SOKO J-22 Orao, a twin-engined – two Rolls-Royce Viper turbofans – light ground-attack and trainer aircraft from the 1970s. Designed jointly by Yugoslavia and Romania, this model equipped the Yugoslav (then Serbian) air force during the 1990s, where a handful exemplars are still flying today.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Indeed a clean design with an interesting performance, this aircraft was possibly the last heir of the Ikarus-then-SOKO lineage, originated back in the years before WWII. In this respect, some unique exemplars of aircraft are preserved in this museum, witnessing the existence of a school of skilled aircraft designers in Serbia, not much known in the western world.

A key figure of the Ikarus design bureau, Dragoljub Beslin led the design of Ikarus S-451, a nice, very small, twin-prop attack aircraft flown in 1951, especially designed to sustain high load factors in maneuvers at high speed.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Another unique specimen is the twin-jet Ikarus 451M, the first jet aircraft built by Yugoslavia. Same designer as the S-451, this unusual jet-engined taildragger flew in 1952, but was soon superseded by more modern models, in those years of quick-paced development of aviation technology. Again, the engines were from the West, in the form of two French Turbomeca Palas turbojets.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Another member of the ‘Ikarus 451’ family – it must be said this Yugoslav one is likely the oddest model numbering systems ever created… –  the T 451 MM Strsljen (Hornet) features a more convincing configuration, resembling the single-engined British BAC Jet Provost and the Italian Macchi MB 326, both rather successful trainers from the late 1950s. On display is actually the ‘Strsljen II’ version, which is a attack/training version with more thrust than the first series aircraft. This model was conceived to operate from unprepared runways, and featured two Turbomeca Marbore II French turbojets. The aircraft flew in 1958, but an air force contract was not granted.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Some functional wind tunnel models of other aircraft, actually never reaching the 1:1 prototype stage, are on display. These include a rare ekranoplane design, the UTVA 754. With a mechanic-monster-like appearance like all ekranoplanes (the most famous being probably the Bertini-Beriev preserved at the Russian Air Force Museum in Monino, see here), this machine was designed in 1982 in the then-Yugoslav town of Zagreb, today the capital city of Croatia.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

A medevac aircraft conceived for easy conversion between floats and wheels, the UTVA 66H can be visited also inside. The indigenous SOKO is represented by a number of models. These include the SOKO G-2 Galeb, a successful trainer/light attack aircraft from the 1950s, built around a single Rolls-Royce Viper turbofan. During its long history it was exported to several international operators, and gave birth to the more recent SOKO J-21 Jastreb. The Galeb was in service with Serbia until 1999.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Another section of the museum features aircraft of foreign make which witness the intricate history of alliances of both the pre-WWII Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the post-WWII communist Yugoslavia. Most remarkably, these include a Messerschmitt Bf-109-G! The history of this particular aircraft is not very clear, some sources stating it was captured from Bulgarian air force. As a matter of fact, Yugoslavia acquired about 70 Bf-109-E from Germany in 1940, which in turn furiously invaded from north in a quick an violent campaign in spring 1941.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Next in line is nothing less than a British Hawker Hurricane! A group of Hurricanes were acquired from Britain in the immediate pre-war years, and even license-built in Belgrade in a small number – Yugoslavia apparently purchased aircraft seamlessly from both opponents at the outbreak of WWII. Later on, Hurricane-equipped squadrons of Yugoslavia fought back on the side of the Allies from bases in southern Italy, finally regaining control over the Balkans.

In a similar fashion, a Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V witnesses the involvement of British-supplied national air force squadrons in the liberation of Yugoslavia from the German invaders.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

In the closing years of WWII, Yugoslavia benefited also from the help of the USSR. This is witnessed by a massive – and pretty rare, out of former soviet republics! – Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik. This big attack aircraft, possibly the most famous Soviet aircraft of WWII, equipped three squadrons in the Yugoslav air force, and helped in the fight on the so-called ‘Srem front’ north of Belgrade. An often overlooked sector of the European front, substantial operations were carried out since late 1944 until April 1945, with the forces of Nazi Germany slowly retreating under the offensive of the Red Army (including Bulgarian divisions) and of Yugoslavia from the south. These operations involved 250’000 troops on either side, thus engaging the Germans and draining resources from mainland defense. At that time, an entire division of the Yugoslav air force were equipped with this aircraft type, kept in service until the 1950s.

Similarly, an elegant WWII Yakovlev Yak-3 fighter of Soviet make can be found nearby in the colors of Yugoslavia.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

After the end of WWII, Tito was determined not to surrender his political and economic independence to Stalin. In this high-stake gamble, he made no secret of his thoughts, and sought international recognition from the west. As expected, Stalin showed no sense of humor in that matter, and as the USSR broke relationships with Yugoslavia, this country faced the risk of isolation and of Soviet invasion in the early stage of the Cold War (late 1940s).

Over the years, the good relationship established with the western Allies during WWII were strengthened further, and most incredibly for a communist country, the US provided aircraft and helicopters, in the form of Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, Republic F-84G Thunderjet and (much later, in the early 1960s) North American F-86D ‘long-nosed’ Sabre.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

The years of Kennedy administration saw a significant improvement of the relationship between Tito and Khrushchev, and this led to a switch to Soviet aircraft in the form of the supersonic MiG-21, which equipped the Yugoslav air force in substantial numbers over the following two decades. An exemplar of this iconic and ubiquitous aircraft, an unquestionably well-performing aircraft in his age, is preserved in the museum. By the way, the early 1960s saw also the widespread adoption of SOKO Galeb trainers and the phase out of older British/US models.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Other peculiar exhibits in the indoor part of the museum are the wrecks resulting from air fight operations during the Yugoslavian wars of the 1990s. On the national (Yugoslav) side, the tail cone of a SOKO G-4 Super Galeb – a totally different design from the quasi-homonym G-2 – damaged by a shoulder-launched Stinger missile in 1991.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

But much more material is from NATO countries, resulting from combat during operation ‘Allied Force’ against Serbia in 1999. Most notably, you can see a substantial part of the wing of a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, the famous stealth aircraft downed by a vintage Soviet SA-3 Goa surface-to-air missile in March 1999, as well as a landing gear, ejection seat, pilot’s helmet, Vulcan cannon and some smaller parts of a General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon downed the following May, again due to an SA-3 missile. The first stage of the missile which hit the Nighthawk is on display too.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

These are basically the only aircraft lost in action over enemy territory during that operation.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

An apparently easier prey, General Atomics RQ-1 Predator UAVs were used in great numbers, some twenty of them being downed. One wrecked example is put on display.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

More items of the kind include parts of NATO missiles, including HARM anti-radiation missiles and cluster-bombs containers.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

On the upper level, you can find a mostly photographic exhibition mainly about the national carrier JAT. Interestingly, not a single Soviet-made model appears in the pictures, whereas you can find Boeing 707s, 727s, 737s, Douglas DC-9s, McDonnell-Douglas DC-10s, Aerospatiale Caravelles and ATR-42/72s – clearly a strong commercial bound with the West, pretty unusual for a communist country!

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Another Yugoslav airline started operations to a later date – Aviogenex. This apparently did use aircraft from the USSR, in particular Tupolev Tu-134s, later flanked by Boeing 737s. Aviogenex ceased operations much later than the end of Yugoslavia, and operated as a Serbian company for some years.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

One of the most iconic brutalist monstrosities in northern Belgrade is the skyscraper which used to host the headquarters of this airline – it looks like a good setting for some ‘Blade Runner’ or ‘Judge Dredd’ movie…

Some more panels include descriptions of airport history and modern operations in the nearby airport of Belgrade. The history line of the national aviation industry is also presented in detail through historical pictures.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Some more aircraft can be found on this level, as well as a SA-3 Goa missile in a non-operative paint scheme, likely for training or telemetry tuning purposes.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Outdoor exhibition

The large area around the building is split between a small outdoor exhibition prepared for the public, and a larger storage area with many more aircraft which can not be neared nor walked around.

The displayed aircraft include an Aerospatiale Caravelle in the colors of JAT. This exemplar was one of three operated by this airline, and was active between 1963 and 1976.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

A much elder transport, a German (French license-built) Junkers 52 with P&W engines represents a fleet of four such aircraft operated by the Yugoslav air force, complementing another group of originally German aircraft captured during the war.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

An aircraft of historical significance is an Ilyushin Il-14 twin-prop transport. This aircraft was a personal goodwill gift from Khrushchev to marshal Tito, and the founding member of Yugoslav presidential fleet.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

A couple of Lisunov Li-2 and some original Douglas C-47 Skytrain, of which the former is a license-built Soviet version, are on display, albeit not all complete. A MiG-21 Fishbed and a Kamov twin-rotor helicopter are also on display.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Another extremely rare item from the post-WWII years, a Short SA.6 Sealand amphibious aircraft of British make has made its way to Belgrade, after years as a transport aircraft in the Yugoslav air force.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

The non-visible part of the museum features a rather impressive collection of MiG-21 in several versions, SOKO J-21 Jastreb and SOKO J-20 Kraguj in a large number, a SA-2 Guideline soviet-made SAM launcher with two missiles, and a number of partly assembled aircraft and wrecks.

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

A mystery item is a part of an allegedly US aircraft, apparently a part of the tail empennage of a bigger transport – any suggestion about this item welcome!

Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbian Aviation
Aeronautical Museum Belgrade Serbia Aviation

Visiting

The museum is located to the northwest of the airport of Belgrade. It can be easily reached by car from the access road going to the main terminal area. Website with info in English here. Parking ahead of the entrance.

The museum can be visited in about 2 hours by an interested subject, much less if you have just a mild interest in aviation. Much paneling is in double Serbian and English language, allowing to get the most from your visit.

Despite being fully operative, the place has a somewhat rotting appearance especially from the outside, as mostly typical to former state-run institutions in former Yugoslavia. Furthermore, some form of protection for the aircraft in the outside exhibition is hopefully to be considered by the management, otherwise the aircraft with literally disintegrate to the action of the elements in a matter of some years.