The new exhibition “Ready for Take-Off – 100 years of Tempelhof Airport” tells in nine exciting chapters the history of the place from flight experiments, monumental architecture and the Nazi era to the Berlin Airlift and espionage to its subsequent use as an open place for everyone.
October 8, 1923: in autumn weather, a group of people stand beside three wooden sheds on Tempelhof Field. Later, two planes take off. Berlin-Tempelhof Airport is opened. The simple buildings soon become one of the most modern airports in the world, achieving, at times, the largest passenger volume in Europe: an air-traffic hub in the middle of Berlin.
"Ready for Take-Off" sheds light on the early years of the Berlin-Tempelhof Airport. Nine chapters lead through the first decade of its existence. They recount the disputes over a central airport for the growing metropolis of Berlin, the modest opening in the troubled year of 1923, and the airport's swift expansion in the wake of the rapid development of air traffic. They show Tempelhof as an everyday workplace and as a stage for spectacular aviation events, as the "home airport" of Luft Hansa and as a point of intersection of civil and military interests. They shed light on the relationship between the airport and urban society, which is able to participate in the fascination of flying but at the same time is increasingly ousted from the field. The first decade ends with the beginning of National Socialism. The airport becomes a place of new construction, terror, dictatorship.
Opening hours
Mon - Wed closed
Thu - Fri 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sat - Sun 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
1st sunday of the month: Free admission
Address:
Tempelhofer Damm 45
12101 Berlin
Bus and train:
Take the U6 (Paradestr. underground station) directly to the entrance of the THF TOWER.
From the U-Bahn Platz der Luftbrücke station, it takes a 10-minute walk and from the S U Tempelhof you`ll need 8 minutes.
Bus: 248 and M43, U-Bahn: U6
S/U Tempelhof: S41, S42, S45 and S46
Parking:
Two parking spaces for people with disabilities are available on site (corresponding parking permit required).
Contact:
E-Mail: thf-tower@thf-berlin.de
Telephone: +49 30 2000 374 261