Flughafen Tempelhof: History of Airport Tempelhof

Historical exploration

Tempelhof Airport in its current form was built between 1936 and 1941 according to the plans of Ernst Sagebiel. The biggest monument of Europe, which stands for monumental self-staging of the Nazis, has become a symbol of freedom because of the airlift of 1948/49. The physical structure is made up of an elliptical airfield and an enormous building complex. It consists of a series of symmetric elements: a forecourt flanked by two office wings; the reception and check-in hall; transit areas and 1230 m long arch of the hangars.

Tempelhof Airport is unique. There was no other building of this magnitude at least within Europe in the 1930s. Tempelhof is a unique airport throughout the world in that the hangars have been brought together with check-in and administrative rooms in a building. The architecture of the airport is also monumental and technologically modern. The natural stone cladding and strong façade gives the building a powerful impression. Whereas on the side facing the airfield, you can see the modern steel structure of the hangar arch. The 380 m long airport gate in the middle of the building is a 40 m wide self-supporting cantilever construction.

In 2011, the building received the distinction: The Symbol of symbol of Engineering Architecture. The construction work could not be completed due to the Second World War. Even today, 13 stair towers, which were intended as stairways to the planned rooftop gallery for more than 80,000 spectators, are in their shell form. At the beginning of the war, the Berlin air companies in addition to Lufthansa and Hansa Luftbild, were accommodated in the administrative wings around the current location of the airlift. During the Second World War, many areas of the building were used for arms production. The US Air Force started flight operation in the new building in 1945 and released parts of the airport for civil use through German authorities at the end of the airlift. On 9th July 1951, civil air traffic officially began in Tempelhof in later General Aviation Terminal (GAT). The main hall in the airport building gained its current appearance in the year 1962.

Chronicle

From parade ground to international airport - an overview of the history of Tempelhof Airport

Aviation history

The history of aviation in Tempelhof begins with gas balloons at the end of the 19th century. A few decades later, in the 1950s, the airport was already one of the largest in Europe in terms of passenger volume besides London and Paris.

National Socialism

The history of the Tempelhof field also provides an insight into the ideology and reality of the National Socialist regime. The premises were a stage for propagandistic mass rallies and a location for the only official Berlin concentration camp. The new airport building with its characteristic features of NS architecture was used for arms production and forced labour during the Second World War.

Symbol of freedom

The airlift and flight of many thousand people from the Soviet sector or GDR made Airport Tempelhof an international symbol of defence of freedom during the Cold War.