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The story begins - If some old walls could talk, they'd tell you of the terrible crimes and horrible things that happened in these places.
In this old German mental asylum, where Hitler himself was treated, there are more than a few skeletons in the closet. Let's take a peek...

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Getting there - Prepare yourself. What you're about to see looks like something straight out of a horror movie.

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Real stories - But this is no fiction. Some horrifying things really happened here.

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Where is it? - This is Beelitz, a German town just a few kilometers from Berlin.

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Abandoned hospital - This is where Beelitz-Heilstätten is located, or at least what's left of this former hospital and abandoned sanitarium.

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Why was it built? - Beelitz-Heilstätten was a treatment center comprising 60 buildings, built in the 19th century to treat tuberculosis, according to the Daily Mail.

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Choice of location - The location was perfect as it was near Berlin and patients could breathe the fresh country air.

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World War - During World War I, part of the complex was transformed into a military hospital to look after wounded German soldiers.

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Patient - Adolf Hitler was treated in this hospital while still a soldier after becoming injured during the Battle of the Somme, as per the Independent.

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Complex - The wartime hospital and the sanitarium weren't the only operating buildings in this location. Beelitz also worked as a kind of village, complete with restaurants, as shown by the Daily Mail.

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End of the war - After the end of World War I, the economic crisis forced the closure of most of the complex.

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Legacy - It was regarded as one of the pioneers in the treatment of tuberculosis.

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Target - Years later during World War II, the hospital was attacked, and in 1945 the Soviets took control of it until the 90s.

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Abandoned - The hospital was totally abandoned: furniture in ruins, walls scratched up, and a spooky atmosphere was all that was left.

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Cinema - This spooky place looks like something from a film. And in fact, it was!

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Film set - It was here that some scenes for 'The Pianist,' directed by Roman Polanski and starring Adrien Brody, were filmed.

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Film set - Polanski isn't the only director who has used this place as a set. Scenes from 'Valkyrie' (2008), starring Tom Cruise, were shot here too.

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Spooky stories - Far from fiction, this place was the site of some spooky real-life occurrences. According to the site Exberliner, the abandoned Beelitz-Heilstätten has been linked to some strange stuff.

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Crime scene - According to the same source, this place was the scene of some brutal murders.

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Photographer and model - One of these killings happened in 2008, when photographer Michael K brought a young model there for a photo shoot.

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Murder - Instead of a photo shoot, she was brought to the beginning of the last day of her life.

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Serial Killer - Other murder cases in the hospital involve the serial killer known as the 'Beast of Beelitz.'

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Serial Killer - According to Exberliner, the murderer lured women to the location and strangled them with lingerie.

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The Beast - The 'Beast of Beelitz' was identified as Wolfgang Schmidt and became part of the legend surrounding this place.

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Supernatural? - Some urban legends about this place involve ghosts and spirits.

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A friendly visit - One of those legends is recounted by the site The Paranormal Guide and tells the story of a group of friends who went to visit the hospital.

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The call - During the visit, one of the girls, named Anne, heard somebody asking her for a scalpel.

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Ghosts? - She turned around around and realized her friends were gone. So if it wasn't one of her friends who spoke to her... who was it?

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Urban Legends - Of course this is an urban legend that can't be corroborated or proven to be true or false.

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Worth a visit? -

So with all the real stories, urban legends, and films, here's the question: would you be brave enough to visit this abandoned place?

See also: The most haunted places in the world

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