Eisenhüttenstadt is a city of 25,000 people (2018) in Brandenburg. It was founded in the 1950s, and its Stalinist architecture is a major draw for travellers. Many buildings are protected due to their historic and architectural value.

Understand

a street scene

Eisenhüttenstadt was founded as Stalinstadt in the 1950s in the eastern part of communist East Germany to house the employees of an iron works (Eisenhütte) nearby. It was named after Soviet premier Joseph Stalin. After he died and new Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev dismantled Stalin's cult of personality, Stalinstadt was united with the pre-existing city of Fürstenberg to form a new municipality under the de-Stalinized name of "Eisenhüttenstadt".

The town has had the same problems after 1990 as most towns of its size in the former East Germany, including unemployment, young people moving out, and low birth rates. Its unique history and architecture make it a somewhat undiscovered destination for tourism. While the name may be challenging if you don't speak German, it means "Iron Hut City". Locals often shorten it to "Hütte" in daily conversation.

Get in

By plane

• 1 Flugplatz Eisenhüttenstadt. A general aviation airfield  

The closest international airports are in Berlin: Tegel TXL ^IATA and Schönefeld SXF ^IATA. They will at some point be replaced by a new international airport at the site where Schönefeld now is BER ^IATA (also valid for the whole city of Berlin).

By train

• 2 Bahnhof Eisenhüttenstadt. 

Eisenhüttenstadt is served by regional trains only. If you are already in Brandenburg, a Länder-Ticket may be a good idea. There are direct trains from Berlin, Frankfurt an der Oder and Cottbus.

By car

From the A12 about 28 km south of Frankfurt an der Oder.

See

• Jesu Christi Der Heiligen der letzten Tage, Lindenplatz 1, ☏ +49 3364 769192. Church. 
• Soviet memorial (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal), Platz des Gedenkens. For 4109 prisoners of war. (updated Apr 2019)
• Memorial stone in Jewish cemetery (Gedenkstein auf dem Jüdischen Friedhof), Kirchhofweg. For a murdered Jewish family from Fürstenberg. 
• Memorial plaque (Gedenktafel am Geburtshaus), Königstraße 61. For shot Jewish couple. 
• Gasometer des EKO-Stahlwerks. 
• 1 Alltagskultur DDR museum, Erich-Weinert-Allee 3, ☏ +49 3364 417355, ✉ info@alltagskultur-ddr.de. Tu-Su 11:00-17:00. Adult €4, reduced €2. (updated Apr 2016)
• Museum Eisenhüttenstadt, Löwenstraße 4, ☏ +49 3364 2146, ✉ info@museum-eisenhuettenstadt.de. Tu-F 10:00-17:00, Sa Su 13:00-17:00. Regular €2, reduced €1, more for special exhibitions. (updated Apr 2016)
• Feuerwehrmuseum, Heinrich-Pritzsche-Straße 26, ☏ +49 336 28243. 

Eat

• 1 Restaurant Vier Jahreszeiten, Bahnhofstraße 81, ☏ +49 3364 7 705 705. Daily from 17:00. (updated Mar 2017)

Sleep

• 1 Hotel Fürstenberg, Gubener Str. 12, ☏ +49 3364 75440. (updated Feb 2016)

Go next

• The town is right at the border with Poland
• Cottbus
• Frankfurt an der Oder
• If you haven't been to Berlin already, it is about 1:30 hr by train.