OH Berlin

Berlin is incredibly rich in history, and there is no better way to experience this than by experiencing some of the innumerable monuments and museums, all paying testament to its multi-faceted and compelling history. However, for an authentic, living, and unchanged look into Berlin’s intriguing past, look no further than Europe’s largest historical monument: Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport.

The airport itself is over 90 years old, with the original building being erected in the 1920’s. However, during the 1930’s the building was completely overhauled and turned into an incredibly modern facility (by pre-war standards), exemplifying the technical superiority of the Nazi regime. Following this, during WWII Tempelhof became an armaments production base for the Nazi war effort – utilising forced labour from the nearby concentration camps. Finally, (and most memorably) Tempelhof became the center-piece in the world famous Berlin Airlift, with cargo planes landing every 90 seconds loaded with essential goods for the people of West Berlin.

Therefore, Tempelhof is an incredibly interesting facility with a multi-faceted history that is sure to appeal to all budding historians. What’s more, Tempelhofer Freiheit, the body in charge of the preservation and restoration of the former airport now offer tours of the grounds. We recently took a special tour and the result was simply fascinating.

Find out about our experience, and why you should take a tour too over on the Oh-Berlin blog.

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Berlin’s Olympic Stadium is a 74,000 seater domed stadium home to dozens of international sports competitions, concerts, exhibitions and events. However, it’s history hasn’t always been one of international acceptance and encouragement.

Built for the 1936 Olympic Games, the stadium was commissioned by the Nazi’s, and the construction was heavily watched over by Hitler himself. In fact, you can still see the grey, spartan-style Nazi influences on the exterior architecture, which is reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome.

Following the Olympic Games the stadium has become an important footnote in post WWII history, being only minutely damaged during the air strikes. Once Berlin was taken by the allies the British moved into the grounds and made the headquarters of their operations in the city. On the May Field (Maifield) just behind the main stadium, each year tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians would gather to celebrate the Queen’s official birthday.

Fast forward to the present and the stadium is now a vibrant hive of international prestige. Berlin based football team Hertha Berlin have made it home, as well as games from two separate Fifa World Cup competitions being held here throughout the years. (In fact, it was in Berlin’s Olympic Stadium that Zinedine Zidane delivered his famous head-butt in the 2006 Fifa World Cup final). Renowned international music acts have also played here, ranging from AC:DC, Madonna and the Rolling Stones, with Depeche Mode and Bon Jovi set to return in 2013.

Experiencing this iconic landmark is an important part of any trip to Berlin and it’s sheer size means planning is advised.

To read the whole article, visit the Oh-Berlin blog where we give you more information about tours and sightseeing options, as well as further information and interesting fact’s about Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.

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Less than 30 years ago the Berlin Wall stood as a symbol of oppression and imprisonment not only in Berlin, but for the world over. More than 150km of fortified concrete separated east from west; freedom from oppression; liberty from tyranny.

Now, however, after all these years, and with very little of the original Berlin Wall still remaining in the city, it has become arguably Berlin’s most popular tourist attraction.

Where do you begin, though, with something so vast, politically, historically and, of course, literally?

We have broken the Berlin Wall down into 5 straight-forward and easy to follow recommendations to ensure you experience the wall as intimately and as completely as possible. Staring with the East Side Gallery

This 1.3km long mural against oppression stands tall as a shining example to progress, decorated in over 100 original art-works, personally painted first shortly after the wall fell, then redone again 20 years later to freshen up the images.

The Berlin Wall Memorial is another top suggestion, chronicling life behind the wall and documenting dozens of intrepid escape attempts. Also witness the only remaining section of original wall with the preserved grounds behind it, exactly as they would have been during the GDR. Giving visitors a unique look at living during the Wall era, the Berlin Wall Memorial comes highly recommended, especially for those on short trips.

If your visiting for longer and are looking for more of our suggestions, you can read the full The Berlin Wall – The 5 Best Ways to Experience the Legacy article at the Oh-Berlin blog.

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