In June of 1948, with the Soviets tightening their grip around Berlin by blocking roads and railways into the city, the United States did something that is still kind of tough to believe. They began flying food, up to 5,000 tons of it, into the city each day. Every 90 seconds for by a year, a US C-47 or C-54 stuffed full of food and supplies touched down at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport, until the Soviets finally relented.
Gemans are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift that week, which makes it all the more sad that Tempelhof is closing down later that year, victim to a basket-case city government and a huge expansion of Berlin’s Schönefeld Airport.
“It should remain open as a document,” 89-year old Gabriele Leech-Anspach says of Tempelhof, adding that the Airlift helped keep her alive during the brutal period following World War II. “It’s a reminder of history.”
Many of her fellow Berliners agree, which is why they fought back tough when the city government announced that Tempelhof had finally reached the end of the runway.
A citywide referendum on the future of the airport was put on the poll that year, sparking a massive campaign that enthralled Berlin. Those in favor of closing Tempelhof argued that the airport, which back in the day handled most of West Berlin’s passenger traffic, is now a relic, serving only private planes and a handful of regional flights. The airport loses nearly $16 million a year, money the bankrupt
Pro-Tempelhofers, armed with thousands of red JA! TEMPELHOF bracelets, countered that the airport’s central location makes it ideal for trade travelers, and that its stunning terminal should continue to be used for its original purpose (though they don’t mention that Tempelhof was built by Hitler as a monument to Nazi power). The pro-camp additionally played the nostalgia card, reminding old-school residents that Tempelhof served as the center of the Berlin Airlift, considered by many to be the first battle of the Cold War.
The referendum to save Tempelhof passed, but at the end of the day it didn’t matter - not sufficient Berliners actually bothered to vote, making the results invalid. And so the airport will shut in October, with no decision on what will become of it.
During a ceremony at the Berlin Air Show that week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel talked about the importance of the Berlin Airlift, and thanked the United States for helping the country during a difficult hour.”
Ironically, the ceremony took place at Schönefeld, the airport that will replace Tempelhof in 2011.
Photo by Flickr user Thomas Duchnicki
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