Tempelhof Airport

Berlin, Germany

Tempelhof was designated as an airport by the Ministry of Transport on 8 October 1923. The old terminal was originally constructed in 1927. In anticipation of increasing air traffic, the Nazi government began a massive reconstruction in the mid-1930s. While it was occasionally cited as the world's oldest operating commercial airport, the title was disputed by several other airports, and is no longer an issue since its closure.

Tempelhof was one of Europe's three iconic pre-World War II airports, the others being London's now defunct Croydon Airport and the old Paris – Le Bourget Airport. It acquired a further iconic status as the centre of the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49. One of the airport's most distinctive features is its large, canopy-style roof, which was able to accommodate most contemporary airliners in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s, protecting passengers from the elements. Tempelhof Airport's main building was once among the top 20 largest buildings on earth; in contrast, it formerly had the world's smallest duty-free shop.

Tempelhof Airport closed all operations on 30 October 2008, despite the efforts of some protesters to prevent the closure. A non-binding referendum was held on 27 April 2008 against the impending closure but failed due to low voter turnout.

Tempelhof has been used since closing to host numerous fairs and events. The fields will be used as a park indefinitely.

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Address

09L/27R, Berlin, Germany
See all sites in Berlin

Details

Founded: 1923
Category:
Historical period: Weimar Republic (Germany)

More Information

www.thf-berlin.de
en.wikipedia.org
www.visitberlin.de

Rating

4.4/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Brandenburg Gate (5 km)
Berlin Cathedral (5 km)
Altes Museum (5,1 km)
Neues Museum (5,2 km)
Reichstag Building (5,3 km)
Alte Nationalgalerie (5,2 km)
Pergamon Museum (5,3 km)
DDR Museum (5,1 km)
Holocaust Memorial (4,8 km)


Charlottenburg Palace (9 km)
Sanssouci Palace (26 km)
Spandau Citadel (15 km)
New Palace (27,5 km)
New Chambers (26,2 km)
Church of Peace (25,8 km)
Orangery Palace (26,5 km)
Cecilienhof Palace (23,4 km)
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp (34 km)

User Reviews

Melanie Hyde (2 years ago)
What an amazing place. The building is amazing. We paid for the tour which was 2 hours long but was so good it felt like 30 mins. Can't recommend enough.
J Pro (2 years ago)
We took the airport walking tours. It costs around 15 euros and is worth every penny! The guide took us through the terminal building and onto the tarmac. The terminal building contains hidden spaces which you would not expect in present day airports. I didn’t want the tour to end. In my opinion this was the hidden gem of Berlin.
Laur Cristopher Papuc (2 years ago)
Amazing historical venue, impressive building. The park itself is a really beautiful place to come and relax, walk or run. Dog friendly, also! If you want to visit the Hangar, beware you can do so only in organized tours (German or English) which would be better to buy or research online in advance.
Emily Harden (2 years ago)
Joined the English tour to see the airport. The history of the building was very interesting, certainly a visit that I'd recommend to friends and family. Perhaps not ideal for older visitors as some parts of the building require you to climb many flights of stairs. However the view from the roof was well worth it. €16 for a two hour tour was a good price in my opinion, definitely one for those who enjoy history.
Harinath Reddy (3 years ago)
The guided tour of Airport building: For me, finding the entrance to Airport was hard. Tip: The one beside police-station is not actual entrance. The building is huge, has good architecture and history. The 2 hour guided tour, involves a lot of walking and too many stairs. If you are old, you can skip it.
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