Tränenpalast
Encyclopedia
The Tränenpalast is the Berlin
colloquialism
for the former border crossing
station at the Berlin Friedrichstrasse railway station. The name comes from the many tearful goodbyes
that took place in front of the building, where visiting citizens of the divided city
had to say farewell to their East German relatives that were not permitted to travel to the Western part of Berlin.
sector
of Berlin
, as a result of the Berlin Wall
, some of the Berlin S-Bahn
and the Berlin U-Bahn
lines stopping at the station were accessible only from West Berlin
, and West Berlin travelers could use the Berlin Friedrichstrasse railway station to transfer between those trains, or to cross into East Germany. The Tränenpalast was built after the amount of traffic and the constraints of the lower level of the Friedrichstrasse station main building made it necessary to expand.
The building was used only for westbound border crossings, with separate checkpoints for citizens of West Berlin, citizens of West Germany, foreigners, diplomats, transit travelers and East German citizens. On the door was a guard station to separate people permitted to cross the border from those ineligible, leading to many tearful goodbyes in front of the building. This gave the building the questionable moniker Tränenpalast ("Palace of Tears").
The extensive checks in the building included three individual passport
checks, customs
control, waiting rooms (since the crossing could take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours), offices to register and record people crossing the border, and a counter for visa fees and the (mandatory) currency exchange. After the border check, passengers would enter an underground pathway that led to the underground station of the Berlin Friedrichstrasse railway station.
until 2006. The building reopened on 14 September 2011 housing a museum on its role as a border crossing for the GDR.
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...
colloquialism
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
for the former border crossing
Border Crossing
Border Crossing may refer to:* Border Crossing , an album by saxophonist Mike Osborne.* Border Crossing , a UK hip hop collective musical group.* Border Crossing , a 2001 novel by English author Pat Barker....
station at the Berlin Friedrichstrasse railway station. The name comes from the many tearful goodbyes
Parting phrase
Parting phrases are elements of parting traditions, phrases used to acknowledge the parting of individuals or groups of people from each other....
that took place in front of the building, where visiting citizens of the divided city
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...
had to say farewell to their East German relatives that were not permitted to travel to the Western part of Berlin.
Border station during the Berlin Wall
Although the Berlin Friedrichstrasse railway station was located entirely in the former SovietSoviet 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
Allied Occupation Zones in Germany
The Allied powers who defeated Nazi Germany in World War II divided the country west of the Oder-Neisse line into four occupation zones for administrative purposes during 1945–49. In the closing weeks of fighting in Europe, US forces had pushed beyond the previously agreed boundaries for the...
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...
, as a result of 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...
, some of 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 the Berlin U-Bahn
Berlin U-Bahn
The Berlin is a rapid transit railway in Berlin, the capital city of Germany, and is a major part of the public transport system of that city. Opened in 1902, the serves 173 stations spread across ten lines, with a total track length of , about 80% of which is underground...
lines stopping at the station were accessible only from 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...
, and West Berlin travelers could use the Berlin Friedrichstrasse railway station to transfer between those trains, or to cross into East Germany. The Tränenpalast was built after the amount of traffic and the constraints of the lower level of the Friedrichstrasse station main building made it necessary to expand.
The building was used only for westbound border crossings, with separate checkpoints for citizens of West Berlin, citizens of West Germany, foreigners, diplomats, transit travelers and East German citizens. On the door was a guard station to separate people permitted to cross the border from those ineligible, leading to many tearful goodbyes in front of the building. This gave the building the questionable moniker Tränenpalast ("Palace of Tears").
The extensive checks in the building included three individual passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
checks, customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
control, waiting rooms (since the crossing could take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours), offices to register and record people crossing the border, and a counter for visa fees and the (mandatory) currency exchange. After the border check, passengers would enter an underground pathway that led to the underground station of the Berlin Friedrichstrasse railway station.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the building was used as a club and stage for various performances, such as readings, concerts and cabaretCabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
until 2006. The building reopened on 14 September 2011 housing a museum on its role as a border crossing for the GDR.