What happens when airports are no longer needed? I’ve always had a fascination with abandoned spaces, so I knew I needed to see Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport in the neighborhood of Schoneberg.
The airport celebrated its birthday during my visit. It was built in 1923 and reconstructed by the Nazis in the 1930s. During the Cold War, it was located in the American sector of Berlin.
This is one of the few pre-World War II airports in Europe that still exists. It ceased operations in 2008, despite some protest from locals. Tempelhof is a historical landmark in its own right. Frenchman Armand Zipfel had a flight demonstration here before American Orville Wright made his “first flight.” German airline Lufthansa was founded here.
The monument in the photo above remembers the 39 British and 31 American airmen that were lost during the 1948-49 Berlin Airlifts.
After the war, commercial flights from Tempelhof continued, starting with American Airlines routes to the United States and throughout Europe. But by the 1970s, most airlines had moved their operations to the newly built Tegel Airport on the other side of Berlin.
Tegel is now starting to show its wear and tear and the construction for the new airport, Berlin Brandenburg International Airport, has been severely delayed. Glitches and mishaps have plagued the project since it began in 2006. Part of Schonefeld, another Berlin airport, will be incorporated into it. It is currently set to open on October 27, 2013 but there are already doubts it will meet this deadline.
You can even tour the inside of the airport, which looks like it has been frozen in time. Unfortunately, it was not open for tours either of the two times I stopped by.
The Tempelhof Project was created to ensure usage of the former airport. Inside the buildings are offices and event spaces and the runway has been turned into the largest public park in the city. On any given day, you will find runners, roller bladers and children with kites.
If You Go
Public transportation takes you easily to the airport, as it is surrounded by stations. I stopped at Platz de Luftbrucke, but there are also stops at Tempelhof, Paradestrasse and Sudstern.
The park is open from 6 a.m. to sunset. Tours of the airport interior are on Saturdays at 3 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. It lasts two hours and costs 12 euro.
I feel sorry for The Tempelhof. It sucks when you are not needed :(
I’ve been in Berlin for a few months now, but still haven’t made it out to Tempelhof. I like the idea of turning an old airfield into a park though. I’ve been impressed with that aspect of Berlin in general–I’ve seen some pretty creative uses of old spaces and structures around the city.
It’s awesome! Check it out! Thanks for reading, Daniel!