True, it was all a bit rough and ready (and in parts positively dilapidated), but there was an undeniably rich cultural seam that spoke to a wider, shared European heritage.

To reflect this, the museum's Ottomeyer has given a broad focus to his German history exhibition, which embraces the country's European heritage.

There is a tip beside one of the fence posts, with an old television, broken furniture and bin liners. Yet this place belongs to the natura 2000 scheme, a European network of natural heritage sites.