Stories

This section provides you with background information but also some thematic insights on the Tempelhof Airport. This includes historical aspects and information on the planning process after the airport was closed and turned into a public park. Resources include maps, photos and videos that allow you to explore some of the current uses.

A brief history of Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Tempelhof Airport as a site was first mentioned in official documents in the 1350s referred to as Tempelhof Field. It has a long history of aviation and military uses starting in the 1720s and ended in 2008 with the closure of Tempelhof Airport. Since 2010 the field is open to the public being one of the largest inner urban parks in Europe.

Go to the the short history

The Airport Building

At time of construction, the airport building was one of the largest buildings in Europe and is one of the few buildings constructed during the Nazi era in Berlin.

Go to the Building

Interactive fieldtrip map

An interactive map presents a selection of photographs, video, audio, 360 photospheres, and relevent links to the Tempelhof field and building gathered during a field trip to the site.

Go to the Interactive map

Interview on current benefits, conflicts, and future development

Im Grunde ist das Tempelhofer Feld wie eine Projektionsfläche, wo sicher jede/r austoben kann
- Jana

Basically, the Tempelhofer Feld is like a projection surface where anyone can let off steam
- Jana

Go to the Interview

Pioneer projects

The Tempelhof Field offers space for experimentation and community engagement. Learn more about the process and some of the examples.

Go to the Pioneer projects

Urban gardening

Berlin has a large number of urban gardening projects which are established on undeveloped or temporarily available lots. Some are focused on urban agriculture and food production while others are more focused on providing communal spaces for interaction.

Go to Urban gardening

Current landuse

The area of the former Airport Tempelhof can be divided into two different parts. The larger part contains the Tempelhof Field as open urban greenspace (see land use map below). The area of the former airport building at the Southwest edge of the field together with the hangars is not part of the public space. The building, managed by the Tempelhof Projekt GmbH, provides office space, room for exhibitions and events including communal uses.

Go to Landuse

Landuse Conflicts

The transfer of the landuse from airfield to its current and constantly changing landuses was not without contestation, nor is it the end.

Go to Landuse conflicts

Created by
Julia Affolderbach, Sabine Dörry, Sylvain Klein, Cyrille Médard de Chardon, Ivonne Weichold, and Sahar Zavareh
Digilego platform

Like this resource? Check out the other resources developed by the project on the Digilego resource platform

Digilego project

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The creation of this platform and some of the resources have been (partially) funded by the ERASMUS+ grant program of the European Union under grant no. 2020 1 DE01 KA226 005814. Neither the European Commission nor the project's national funding agency DAAD are responsible for the content or liable for any losses or damage resulting of the use of these resources.