Berlin Nordbahnhof
Encyclopedia
Berlin Nordbahnhof is a railway station in the Mitte
district of Berlin
, Germany
. It is served by the Berlin S-Bahn
and local bus and tram lines.
In 1842 the Stettiner Bahnhof opened as terminus of the railway line to then Prussia
n city of Stettin , connecting Berlin with the holiday resort
s on the Baltic Sea
(so-called Pomerania Riviera or more colloquial Berliners' bath tub). As the number of passengers increased rapidly, the station on Invalidenstraße
became one of Berlin's busiest railway termini and had to be enlarged several times.
On 28 May 1936 the present-day underground station of the S-Bahn opened as part of the new North-South Tunnel under the Berlin city centre. The new underground station replaced the former suburban railway station, whose railhead building can still be seen west of the Nordbahnhof on Zinnowitzer Straße.
On 25 April 1945 the S-Bahn ceased operation due to the Soviet invasion, which had reached Berlin's suburbia on 21 April. Most likely on 2 May 1945 the SS exploded the tunnel ceiling under Landwehrkanal
, which caused the subsequent flooding of the tunnel. After World War II
the station itself was within the Soviet
sector (East Berlin). After drainage and repair the tunnel and its stations reopened for traffic in November 1947.
On 1 December 1950 the name of the formerly German town of Stettin was deleted by a renaming into Berlin Nordbahnhof. Since the rail lines leading to the station crossed the territories of West Berlin, it was closed by the GDR authorities on 18 May 1952 and finally demolished in 1962. The adjacent S-Bahn station remained under the name of Nordbahnhof. During the Uprising of 1953 in East Germany
and East Berlin the S-Bahn, operated by the eastern Deutsche Reichsbahn, interrupted traffic between 17 June until 9 July 1953.
Between 13 August 1961, the day the Berlin Wall
went up, and 1 September 1990 trains did not stop at the station, because it was located in East Berlin
, the operating line nevertheless connecting northern and southern areas of West Berlin
. So the Reichsbahn continued the operation of the line, but trains only stopped in those stations with entrances from West Berlin. Passengers in these trains experienced the empty and barely lit ghost station where time had stood still since 13 August 1961.
All entrances were closed until the station reopened on 1 September 1990. Soon after the station closed again. After a serious refurbish of one and a half years tunnel and station reopened on 1 March 1992. Nordbahnhof entrance hall was restored in 2006 including a new layout of the forecourt with indicated tracks and inset plaques bearing the destinations of the former trains to the Baltic coast.
Mitte (locality)
Mitte is a central locality of Berlin in the homonymous district of Mitte. Until 2001 it was itself an autonomous district....
district of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is served by the Berlin S-Bahn
Berlin S-Bahn
The Berlin S-Bahn is a rapid transit system in and around Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It consists of 15 lines and is integrated with the mostly underground U-Bahn to form the backbone of Berlin's rapid transport system...
and local bus and tram lines.
History
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
n city of Stettin , connecting Berlin with the holiday resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
s on the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
(so-called Pomerania Riviera or more colloquial Berliners' bath tub). As the number of passengers increased rapidly, the station on Invalidenstraße
Invalidenstraße
The Invalidenstraße is a street in Berlin, Germany. It runs east to west for through the districts of Mitte and Moabit. The street originally connected three important railway stations in the northern city centre: the Stettiner Bahnhof , the Hamburger Bahnhof and the Lehrter Bahnhof, the...
became one of Berlin's busiest railway termini and had to be enlarged several times.
On 28 May 1936 the present-day underground station of the S-Bahn opened as part of the new North-South Tunnel under the Berlin city centre. The new underground station replaced the former suburban railway station, whose railhead building can still be seen west of the Nordbahnhof on Zinnowitzer Straße.
On 25 April 1945 the S-Bahn ceased operation due to the Soviet invasion, which had reached Berlin's suburbia on 21 April. Most likely on 2 May 1945 the SS exploded the tunnel ceiling under Landwehrkanal
Landwehrkanal
The Landwehr Canal, or Landwehrkanal in German, is a long canal parallel to the Spree river in Berlin, Germany, built between 1845 and 1850 according to plans by Peter Joseph Lenné...
, which caused the subsequent flooding of the tunnel. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the station itself was within the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
sector (East Berlin). After drainage and repair the tunnel and its stations reopened for traffic in November 1947.
On 1 December 1950 the name of the formerly German town of Stettin was deleted by a renaming into Berlin Nordbahnhof. Since the rail lines leading to the station crossed the territories of West Berlin, it was closed by the GDR authorities on 18 May 1952 and finally demolished in 1962. The adjacent S-Bahn station remained under the name of Nordbahnhof. During the Uprising of 1953 in East Germany
Uprising of 1953 in East Germany
The Uprising of 1953 in East Germany started with a strike by East Berlin construction workers on June 16. It turned into a widespread anti-Stalinist uprising against the German Democratic Republic government the next day....
and East Berlin the S-Bahn, operated by the eastern Deutsche Reichsbahn, interrupted traffic between 17 June until 9 July 1953.
Between 13 August 1961, the day the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
went up, and 1 September 1990 trains did not stop at the station, because it was located in East Berlin
East Berlin
East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. It consisted of the Soviet sector of Berlin that was established in 1945. The American, British and French sectors became West Berlin, a part strongly associated with West Germany but a free city...
, the operating line nevertheless connecting northern and southern areas of West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
. So the Reichsbahn continued the operation of the line, but trains only stopped in those stations with entrances from West Berlin. Passengers in these trains experienced the empty and barely lit ghost station where time had stood still since 13 August 1961.
All entrances were closed until the station reopened on 1 September 1990. Soon after the station closed again. After a serious refurbish of one and a half years tunnel and station reopened on 1 March 1992. Nordbahnhof entrance hall was restored in 2006 including a new layout of the forecourt with indicated tracks and inset plaques bearing the destinations of the former trains to the Baltic coast.