The 300,000-m² building is a testimony to world events of the 20th century. Built between 1936 and 1941, the complex reflects the monumental thinking behind Nazi architecture but also represents a landmark in civil engineering. It became a symbol for freedom owing to its use by the Americans after the Second World War, in particular during the Airlift in 1948/49.
The listed building has functioned as an event venue since its closure in 2008. The former aeroplane hangar continues to draw people from around the world; many come to make music, hold congresses or showcase their innovative ideas and products. A mere five kilometres from the Brandenburg Gate, the airport building provides the perfect space and setting for big occasions. The old administration offices are being turned into workspaces for creative people and educational institutions. Tempelhof Airport is well on the way to becoming a thriving location for future generations.
Timeline
1351 – Peace agreement signed between the twin towns of Berlin and Coelln on the site of Tempelhofer Feld.
1722 – First parade of the Berlin garrison is held by Friedrich Wilhelm I. Parade becomes annual event.
1909 – The LZ6 of Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin flies in front of Emperor Wilhelm II and 300,000 Berliners. Later that same year, Orville Wright demonstrates his “Aeroplan” flying machine before 150,000 onlookers.
1923-1929 – The “first” airport building, designed by architects Paul and Klaus Engler is built. The “Deutsche Luft Hansa AG” company is founded in Berlin on 6th January 1926.
1933-1945 – In 1935, with the National Socialists in power, the architect Ernst Sagebiel begins drawing up plans for Tempelhof Airport. During the Second World War, The airport building becomes a key site of aircraft construction.
1948 – Berlin airlift begins. Fuel, food and other essential supplies flown into Tempelhof Airport to supply the Allied sectors in West Berlin.
1951 – Civil flights from Tempelhof Airport begin
1971 – Passenger traffic through Tempelhof Airport peaks at approx. 5.5 million
1975 – With the building of Tegel Airport civil air traffic ceases at Tempelhof.
1993 – Following the reunification of Germany the USA withdraws its personnel from Tempelhof Airport in 1993 and hands the complex over to the Berlin Flughafengesellschaft.
1995 – The airport site is covered by formal protection order.
2008 – On 30th October, all air movements cease.
2010 – The former airfield opens to the general public and is fast becoming Berlin’s most popular open space.
Did you know?
Germany's oldest football club, BFC Germania 1888, was founded in Tempelhof. The players trained on land that was to become Tempelhof Airport.
90 years of aviation
Airport activity in Tempelhof began in earnest on 8th October 1923 with the establishment of regular flights between Berlin and Königsberg. In the 1920s new hangars and a passenger-handling building were built to the southeast of today’s main building. By 1930 Tempelhof was processing more passengers than any other airport in Europe. Concrete runways were not introduced until the Airlift of 1948-49. During the years of German division, flights into and out of Berlin were restricted to Allied airlines. On 9th July 1951 the present-day General Aviation Terminal (GAT) on Tempelhofer Damm was opened for civil flights operated by the three Western airlines, Pan Am, British European Airways (BEA) and Air France. As Tempelhof could not be enlarged to accommodate bigger jets, civil air traffic switched to Tegel in 1975. Not until after 1990 was there a resurgence of passenger activity at Tempelhof, with increasing numbers of business flights preferring the proximity to the city centre. In 1994 passenger numbers again reached the 1 million mark before falling again. 350,000 passengers were processed in the year before the closure of the airport.
The Berlin Airlift
Few historic events are as closely associated with Tempelhof Airport as the Berlin Airlift in 1948/49. During the night of 23rd/24th June 1948, Soviet troops closed all land access routes into West Berlin. Gas and electricity supplies from the Soviet sector were cut off; factories, households and public buildings could no longer function normally. At the behest of the US Military Governor Lucius D. Clay, “Operation Vittles”, an initiative to supply the Western sectors by air, begun on 26th June. For over a year a total of 2.3 million tons of freight were airlifted into Berlin in an operation involving almost 278,000 flights. 2.1 million people in West Berlin were supplied with food, coal, machines, equipment and other daily necessities.
Today's Tempelhof
The Tempelhof of today has been re-born as a thriving cultural space used for concerts, events, education, movie shoots, conferences and much more. The Tempelhof is firmly lodged in the public awareness both as a tourist attraction and as the setting for international historical events. At the meeting point of history and technology, it makes the perfect backdrop to the inaugural DHL Berlin ePrix.