Südgelände Nature Park, Berlin -- History

 * built between 1880-1890 as a freight yard to serve the Schöneberg-Tempelhof district  
 * closed in 1952 and was mostly abandoned except for a maintenance facility that kept 
   a few tracks open  
 * post World War II, many developed areas that had been destroyed were not built up but 
   reserved for future planning, resulting in inaccessible, unused land in the inner city
 * before re-unification, the Südgelände's proximity to the Berlin Wall caused administrative 
   and legal problems, resulting in a no-man's land
 * in 1980, a new yard was slated for development but citizens  protested and won with 
   financial backing of Allianz Environmental Foundation
 * by 1981, the site was 70% woodland 
 * park was opened in 2000 and conserves 62 of the original 173 acres

  
Photos (http://www.gruen-berlin.de/parks-gardens/suedgelaende-nature-park/)