The Berlin Airport: Hitler's Legacy Or Modern Wonder?

Berlin Tempelhof Airport was built by the Nazis between 1936 and 1941. The airport was designed by Ernst Sagebiel, who was commissioned by Hitler, and is considered a rare surviving example of Nazi architecture. The airport was intended to be the world's biggest building and an entryway to Hitler's future world capital, Germania. The airport was used as a factory for building combat aircraft and weapons during World War II, and was later used as a crucial hub during the Berlin Airlift.

Hitler's role in the airport's design and construction

Tempelhof Airport in Berlin was built between 1936 and 1941 according to the plans of Ernst Sagebiel. Adolf Hitler played a significant role in the airport's design and construction.

Hitler took a personal interest in the airport's development. He began sketching plans for the airport in 1933, giving the terminal its arced shape and vast dimensions. He wanted the airport to be the world's biggest building and an entryway to his future world capital, "Germania".

Hitler commissioned Sagebiel to design the airport in 1935, and construction began the following year. Sagebiel introduced many innovative features that were later copied elsewhere, including separate levels for passengers and luggage. The airport was designed to wow visitors to the new Third Reich capital of Germania and was intended to be a statement of Nazi Germany's greatness.

The Reich Air Ministry, under the leadership of Hermann Göring, financed and built the project. The airport has a vast 303-hectare airfield. The complex of buildings includes a forecourt flanked by two office wings, the reception and check-in hall, transit areas, and a 1,230-metre-long arch of hangars. The entire facility is axially aligned with Karl Friedrich Schinkel's Kreuzberg monument of 1821, a place of national midsummer festival during the Nazi era.

The airport was only ever 80% finished. Most of the exterior is complete, but much work remains inside. Hitler's wish to accommodate 100,000 people during Luftwaffe air shows and military parades never came true, as the 13 staircase towers that would have taken people up to the roof were never finished.

During World War II, the hangars and transit tunnel were used for arms production. The airport was also home to a Gestapo prison and Berlin's only concentration camp, where inmates were forced to build combat aircraft.

The airport's use during the Berlin Airlift

Berlin Tempelhof Airport was one of the first airports in Berlin, Germany. It was designated as an airport by the Reich 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 an enormous reconstruction in the mid-1930s. The airport was built by the Nazis on the site of a much smaller existing airport between 1936 and 1941. It was designed to wow visitors to the new Third Reich capital of Germania. Hitler began sketching the plans in 1933, giving the terminal its arced shape and vast dimensions. Hitler eventually commissioned architect Ernst Sagebiel to finish planning Tempelhof, but the project took a back seat to Hitler’s main priority: committing resources to prepare for war. To this day, sections of the airport are still incomplete.

Tempelhof Airport was the principal Berlin airfield used by Operation Vittles during the Berlin Airlift. The airport was used as the takeoff and landing site for the "raisin bombers" that provided the people of West Berlin with vital supplies, such as food, coal, and medical supplies. They also used mini-parachutes to drop 22 tons of candy for the children of Berlin, which led to their becoming known as the "candy bombers".

The Berlin Airlift began on 24 June 1948, when the Soviet Union blocked all road and rail travel to and from West Berlin, cutting off the city from any outside supplies. Two days later, on 26 June, the first planes took off from bases in England and western Germany and landed in West Berlin. For nearly a year, American and British planes landed around the clock. Over 200,000 planes carried in more than two-and-a-half million tons of supplies.

During the Berlin Airlift, the Allies safely delivered an astonishing 2.3 million tons of supplies, solely by air – an accomplishment unprecedented in history. The Allies carried about 2.3 million tons of cargo in all over the course of the airlift.

The Berlin Airlift was supposed to be a short-term measure, but it settled in for the long haul as the Soviets refused to lift the blockade. For more than a year, hundreds of American, British and French cargo planes ferried provisions from Western Europe to the Tempelhof (in the American sector), Gatow (in the British sector) and Tegel (in the French sector) airfields in West Berlin. At the beginning of the operation, the planes delivered about 5,000 tons of supplies to West Berlin every day; by the end, those loads had increased to about 8,000 tons of supplies per day.

The airport's use during World War II

The Berlin Tempelhof Airport was built by the Nazis on the site of a much smaller existing airport between 1936 and 1941. The airport was designed to be a symbol of Nazi power and the future world capital, "Germania". The airport was also intended to be the world's biggest building.

During World War II, the airport was used as a factory for building combat aircraft and weapons. The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter planes and Junkers Ju 87 "Stuka" dive bombers were assembled in the hangars of the new terminal building. The German airline Lufthansa used the labour force for maintenance, mounting radar installations, and repairing aircraft. The forced labourers were freed by the Red Army in 1945 as World War II came to an end.

The airport was also home to a Gestapo prison and Berlin's only concentration camp during the war. The camp's inmates were forced to build combat aircraft.

The airport's architectural significance

The Berlin Tempelhof Airport, also known as "Hitler's Airport", was built between 1936 and 1941 according to the plans of Ernst Sagebiel. The airport is one of the largest buildings in Europe and is considered a rare surviving landmark of Nazi architecture. The airport's main building was once one of the largest structures in Europe, and British architect Norman Foster even crowned it "the mother of all airports".

The airport's architecture is characterised by its ambivalence of monumentality and modernism. All the facades facing the city are decorated with natural stone made of Tengen shell limestone, while the modern pure steel structure of the arch can be seen on the side facing the airfield. The 380-metre-long airport gate in the middle of the building is a 40-metre-wide self-supporting cantilever construction. The complex of buildings comprises different elements arranged one behind the other: a circular public square is surrounded by four-story wings, which are believed to have been used for administration, while the buildings surround a forecourt of 90 metres in length, which leads to the monumental reception building. The longitudinal terminal building of 18 metres in height follows the transverse building, and the arch of the hangars and the gates are structured by fortified stair towers of 1,230 metres in length, forming the end of the buildings.

The airport was designed to look like an eagle in flight, with semicircular hangars forming the bird's wings. Hitler took a personal interest in Tempelhof's development and wanted it to be an entryway to his future world capital, "Germania". He sketched the plans in 1933, giving the terminal its arced shape and vast dimensions. The airport was also designed with many innovative features, such as separate levels for passengers and luggage.

The buildings were designed artistically and lavishly, with sculptures, reliefs, mosaics, and stained glass. Indoors, the airport had practical office sections characterised by functionality, as well as rooms with a monumental impression, such as the reception hall with its enormous height. Even the unfinished check-in hall had a representative appearance due to its wall pillars, marble flooring, and a flight of steps with massive groups of sculptures.

The airport's legacy and current use

Berlin Tempelhof Airport, built by the Nazis between 1936 and 1941, was once the world's largest airport. It was designed to be the gateway to Hitler's future world capital, "Germania". The airport's main building was one of the largest structures in Europe and was dubbed the "mother of all airports" by British architect Norman Foster.

Tempelhof Airport ceased all operations in 2008, and in 2014, Berliners voted to keep the site as a public space for recreational activities. The former airfield is now known as Tempelhofer Feld and has been used for various events and activities, including kite-surfing, rollerblading, baseball, concerts, and festivals. It has also been used as a filming location for movies such as "The Hunger Games" and "The Bourne Supremacy."

In 2015, during the European migrant crisis, the airport hangars were temporarily converted into emergency refugee shelters, accommodating up to 2,500 refugees. The shelter was closed in December 2017, and the refugees were relocated to a container village on the airfield.

The main tenants of the airport today are the Berlin police force, who occupy approximately 46,000 square meters (about 15% of the total space). The airport is also home to a kindergarten and a dancing school.

There have been various plans and debates over the years regarding the future development of the airport site. In 2011, city planners proposed constructing commercial areas, offices, homes, and a public library. However, locals were skeptical, and a referendum was held in 2014, resulting in a majority voting to keep the site unchanged.

The airport's unique architectural features, including its elliptical airfield and impressive building complex, have led to it being recognised as a symbol of Nazi architecture and engineering. The main terminal building, with its arced shape and vast dimensions, is characterised by its monumentality and modernism, with natural stone cladding and a strong facade.

While the future of the airport site remains undecided, it continues to be a unique and versatile space, serving various recreational, cultural, and humanitarian purposes.

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