Exploring Ludwigsfelde: Unveiling the Hidden Treasures of Brandenburg

Over Batalot, a passionate truck enthusiast, spends his free time in his club's workshop where he and other club members who share his love for technology meet up every Monday. Together, they have welded and restored a total of 30 vehicles, constantly searching for models that are missing from their collection. Remarkably, they recently found one in Russia, and interestingly enough, the truck they are restoring was built by their very own colleagues who developed prototypes almost thirty years ago.

One of their rare finds is the L60, a prototype that never went into serial production. All the vehicles in their workshop were built in Ludwig's Felder, an area known for its automobile factory, before the fall of communism. Ludwig's Felder was where Batalot's passion for technology was born on November 9, 1989, the day the Berlin Wall fell. Now turning 20 this year, Batalot's interest in mechanics has intensified, progressing from tinkering with bicycles and mopeds to working on cars.

During his daily commute through the grounds of the once state-owned IFA automobile factory in Ludwig's Felder, Batalot gets a glimpse of the transformation that has taken place. Previously employing around ten thousand individuals, the factory's buildings and grounds are now utilized by new companies attracted by subsidies and tax breaks. Batalot himself works for Mercedes-Benz, the largest company in the area. While trucks used to be the primary focus, the factory now focuses on manufacturing vans.

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In 1991, Daimler took over operations at the factory. The main appeal for Daimler was the huge export orientation of the truck division, with 70 to 80 percent of their vehicles being shipped abroad, primarily to Eastern Bloc countries. The experienced workforce of Ludwig's Felder was highly sought after, and the factory underwent renovations to showcase its potential to Daimler. For instance, the paint shop, once dark and dingy, was spruced up. In an attempt to enhancethe factory's appearance, the remnants of green vehicle paint left over from the production of the L60 were used, covering even the walls of the paint shop.

Ludwig's Felder itself is not widely known for its natural beauty. However, Batalot now owns a small house in the area. Prior to the fall of communism, he lived in a prefab apartment block constructed to provide housing for the growing workforce of the expanding factory. Nowadays, Ludwig's Felder benefits from having a motorway running through it, attracting approximately a thousand large and small businesses. Since the Berlin Wall fell, there has been a significant amount of investment in the area, and despite the 10 percent unemployment rate, Ludwig's Felder is doing better than many other places in the former East Germany.

In his free time, Batalot occasionally visits the town's small museum of technology, which showcases typical products of the planned economy and the story of its demise. When the state-run companies collapsed, approximately six thousand local residents lost their jobs. The closure of the local cinema and the absence of pubs or cafes catering to young people mean that Ludwigsfeld doesn't offer much in terms of entertainment in the evenings. As a result, Batalot and his girlfriend often resort to going to Berlin, which is around 20 kilometers away.

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While Batalot enjoys his work at MTU Maintenance, a company that inspects and services aircraft engines, he acknowledges that there may be opportunities elsewhere. The company, with branches in Munich, Hanover, Shuhai, and now in Poland as well, has secured a long-term order from Airbus to manufacture engines. For now, Batalot is considering other options and isn't tied to Ludwig's Felder.

Despite the limitations in entertainment options, Batalot is eagerly awaiting his upcoming birthday on November 9th. He and his colleagues are planning a celebration and are determined to make it a memorable event in a town where they have found a shared passion for trucks and technology.

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