If you enter an abandoned property, you might discover something you are not supposed to see.
This video is about one of the most unexpected finds you can make inside such a place.
This is an abandoned cannabis factory set up inside an abandoned mansion.
With a sophisticated system in use, it was possible to grow up to 500 marijuana plants here at the same time -
illegally, of course.
When police forces stormed the derelict villa more than ten years ago, they found a gold mine.
The officers stopped a large-scale cannabis cultivation
that was used to flush the local drug market with a new product.
It sounds like a story from the Breaking Bad universe, but these were real events happening in rural Germany.
Join us in today's episode when we explore the remains and share the full story
of what secretly happened in the basement of this historic manor.
For updates and photos of our adventures follow us on social media.
Just another morning in paradise.
This bucket-wheel excavator might be the largest abandoned vehicle in the world.
Located in Eastern Germany, it was used for mining until the early 2000s.
We already shot a detailed adventure report about our exploration of the beast years ago.
On this day in winter, however, we were only stopping here to camp for the night
when we were on our way to another intriguing place.
This time, we were on the road with two local explorers.
They wanted to show us an abandoned structure that was lying idle for three decades now.
The only other information they shared with us was how they named it:
Villa des Gärtners.
Or in English: Grower’s Mansion.
Surrounded by a big park this building is all that is left of a small town’s elegant residential area.
The gate was wide open and invited us to enter the historic property.
The history of this manor dates back to the 1920s when it was built by wealthy merchants.
When the family moved away only ten years later,
the site was owned by the church, which decided to house nuns here.
They were living here until 30 years ago.
But shortly before the political changes in the country,
the mansion was turned into public property by the socialist nation of the German Democratic Republic.
Since it was not clear who owned the place after the fall of the GDR, the building is vacant since 1990.
The building stock looks quite good today but that is because it was prepared for preservation one year later.
But since 1991 nothing really happened on the property.
It took more than 15 years until someone came up with a new idea of how to use the neglected building.
Apparently, we just discovered the remains of a large-scale cannabis cultivation in the basement of a historic manor.
This was in fact one of the weirdest finds we have made inside an abandoned place so far.
Of course we were curious about the full story.
Luckily, online we found detailed news about what has happened here in 2008.
Listen up, because it is getting crazy!
It is said that a group of multiple individuals stated this cannabis production
to supply the local drug market with weed from their own plantation.
For that, they broke into this abandoned villa.
Then, they drilled a well that is 70 meters deep,
they installed an electrical system and even surveillance cameras.
To get power they were actually tapping the wire.
All the things they needed for their cannabis cultivation
like growing kits, fertilizer or appropriate light
was purchased in Berlin which is very close to this place.
According to the media, three persons were involved in the dope production.
Police was observing them because attentive neighbors noticed the shady events
and strangers walking in and out the vacant building.
When evidence was emerging that they wanted to run, police stormed the place.
They found almost 500 cannabis plants in here.
However, in the end, nobody was harmed or suffered any damage because of the weed cultivation.
That is why their sentences were rather trivial.
Only one of them had to go to prison but that was because of his previous convictions.
More than ten years later, this manor is still full with the remains of these bold actions.
Who knows how many drug plantations inside abandoned structures are out there?
And we can't stop thinking about what would happen if we ran into an active one one day?
Soon on Broken Window Theory:
Prepare for our new Italy road trip series!
What was your most unexpected discovery inside an abandoned place?
We have made quite some finds, but this one was unique!
However, if you want to see more of the bucket-wheel excavator from the beginning,
watch the displayed video next.
Enjoy and keep exploring!