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"Wavescan" is a weekly program for long distance radio hobbyists produced by Dr. Adrian M. Peterson, Coordinator of International Relations for Adventist World Radio. AWR carries the program over many of its stations (including shortwave). Adrian Peterson is a highly regarded DXer and radio historian, and often includes features on radio history in his program. We are reproducing those features below, with Dr. Peterson's permission and assistance.
Wavescan 284, June 4, 2000
The "Nauen" Station in Germany
The town of Nauen is situated about 25 miles west of Berlin in what was at one stage East Germany. Located here is an old and historic radio station with what could be described as four sub-sites. This facility was established in 1906 under the callsign POZ with the installation of a 20 kw. spark transmitter made by Telefunken. Almost a century later, what has happened to this site?
Over the years it was used mainly as a communication facility, though at times also for radio broadcasting. In 1945, the radio equipment was removed, taken to Russia by train, and buried at a lonely site somewhere in the USSR. A few years later, radio equipment was again installed at Nauen, and into the 1950s it contained 28 transmitters and a bevy of antennas.
When the two Germanys were re-united in October 1990, Deutsche Welle took over this historic old site, and it was finally and fully de-activated in the Spring of the next year. At the time, suggestions were made that the old main building would become a radio museum.
Just two kilometers away is the site that was established for the old Radio Berlin International. The first transmitter, a 50 kw. unit, was installed at this sub-site in 1959, and five years later a 100 kw. unit was added. Subsequently, three transmitters at 500 kw. were also installed at this RBI sub-site.
When Deutsche Welle took over all RBI facilities in East Germany on October 2, 1990, five transmitters were in operation, using 32 antennas that stretched for nearly one kilometer. One kilometer east of the RBI site was another sub-site with a single transmitter at 100 kw. and an experimental rotating antenna that could also be slewed horizontally. This transmitter was made in East Germany and installed in 1964.
The 4th sub-site at Nauen is more recent, where Deutsche Welle has installed four new transmltters, the 500 kw. Alliss units made in France. Each transmitter is housed as a separate unit, attached to just the one rotatable antenna.
When Deutsche Welle took over all of the RBI sites in the former East Germany, they were all in use for a short period of time as temporary relay units of Deutsche Welle (for which QSL cards were issued).
So what is left at old Nauen? Everything is gone except several old buildings, and one older transmitter at 100 kw. is still on the air. However, the new sub-site is indeed very active, with the four new transmitters at 500 kw. in daily usage.