Hitler's Airport Update-- Part 2

Today, Berliners wander through the prairielike 950 acres.

During the war, Allied forces knew that one day they would need the airport after the war, so it was spared the bombing that destroyed so much of Berlin.

Tempelhof became the eastern end of President Harry Truman's famous air bridge during the 1948-49 Soviet blockade of West Berlin which was surrounded by Soviet East Germany. Today, there is an abstract monument bearing the names of 70 British and American "Candy Bombers" who died ferrying food and supplies to West Berlin. It's three fingers represent the three air routes into the city.

Tempelhoff became a major US base and the main civilian air link. As commercial airlines began using the other two airports, private planes carrying high-end travelers continued to use it.

The Story of an Airport. --DaCoot

Hitler's Airport Update-- Part 1

July 22nd Chicago Tribune "From Nazi icon to tranquil oasis" by Borzou Daraghal.


Tempelhof Airport shut down two years ago as more and more air traffic went to the more modern Tegel and Schoenfield airports. There were lots of plans for it, but today it is just essentially open park land.

This airport represents German history since the 1930s after being designed on a monumental scale to glorify Hitler's Third Reich by his top architect, Albert Speer. It was massive to say the least, at 950 acres, larger than New York City's Central Park and twice the size of Berlin's biggest park, the 19th century Tiergarten.

Nothing has essentially been done, other than city workers painting huge Xs on the runways so no planes will land there.

Hitler had Speer create "an ominous and imposing edifice, decorated with eagles that grasped swastikas which have long been scraped off."

The 4,000 foot long airport building is being left as is for now. Parts are sometimes rented out for events and the grounds are essentially left as they were.

Cold War Edifice Next, --Cooter