Paradestraße (Berlin U-Bahn)
Encyclopedia
Paradestraße is a Berlin U-Bahn
station on the line. It was opened in 1927 as Flughafen (airport) and at that time provided the world's first direct connection between a metro system and an airport (Tempelhof Airport).
. It remained the terminus until 1929, when the extension reached Tempelhof
. As indicated by its original name, Flughafen, it was intended to provide direct access to Tempelhof Airport. The platform is broad and four of the stairs from it led to a large mezzanine from which two exits led into the airport terminal building. This was the world's first direct airport-underground railway connection.
However, the airport was rebuilt in the 1930s, both because it proved too small and because part of Hitler's plan for converting Berlin into Welthauptstadt Germania
was for the main entrance to the airport to be aligned with the triumphal arch on the North-South Axis. The station was no longer in the correct position and in January 1937 was renamed Paradestraße; the Kreuzberg station became the new connection between the U-Bahn and the airport and was renamed Flughafen. The eastern exits at Paradestraße, which had led to the former terminal, were sealed and the mezzanine reduced in size. The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe
(Berlin Transport) used the closed-off portion as a shooting gallery.
In 1946 the city planned to rename the station again, to Franz-Werfel-Straße, and even made the change on street maps, but it was never actually changed.
In the early 1990s, one of the two remaining stairways from the street to the station was replaced with a lift, leaving only one exit in case of fire. The station now again has 2 stairways in addition to a lift.
The extension of the line south to Kreuzberg and Flughafen, and later beyond, was originally known as C II. In 1966 it became known as Line 6 and in 1986 as U6
.
and was originally sandy-coloured. Around 1992, it was retiled in small white tiles with multicoloured accents representing the colours of all the Berlin U-Bahn lines, making it one of the most colourful stations in the system.
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...
station on the line. It was opened in 1927 as Flughafen (airport) and at that time provided the world's first direct connection between a metro system and an airport (Tempelhof Airport).
History
The station opened on 10 September 1927, taking over as the southern terminus of the north-south line from Kreuzberg, now Platz der LuftbrückePlatz der Luftbrücke (Berlin U-Bahn)
Platz der Luftbrücke is a Berlin U-Bahn station located on the . It is located under Platz der Luftbrücke and the south end of Mehringdamm on the border between Kreuzberg and Tempelhof, near the former Tempelhof International Airport, and is now named for the square there with its memorial to the...
. It remained the terminus until 1929, when the extension reached Tempelhof
Tempelhof (Berlin U-Bahn)
Tempelhof is a railway station in the district of Berlin with the same name. It is served by the S-Bahn lines , , and and the U-Bahn line . The S-Bahn station is on an embankment at the junction of Tempelhofer Damm and Bundesautobahn 100, about 1 km south of the entrance to the former...
. As indicated by its original name, Flughafen, it was intended to provide direct access to Tempelhof Airport. The platform is broad and four of the stairs from it led to a large mezzanine from which two exits led into the airport terminal building. This was the world's first direct airport-underground railway connection.
However, the airport was rebuilt in the 1930s, both because it proved too small and because part of Hitler's plan for converting Berlin into Welthauptstadt Germania
Welthauptstadt Germania
Welthauptstadt Germania refers to the projected renewal of the German capital Berlin during the Nazi period, part of Adolf Hitler's vision for the future of Germany after the planned victory in World War II...
was for the main entrance to the airport to be aligned with the triumphal arch on the North-South Axis. The station was no longer in the correct position and in January 1937 was renamed Paradestraße; the Kreuzberg station became the new connection between the U-Bahn and the airport and was renamed Flughafen. The eastern exits at Paradestraße, which had led to the former terminal, were sealed and the mezzanine reduced in size. The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe
Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe
The is the main public transport company of Berlin, the capital city of Germany. It manages the city's U-Bahn underground railway, tram, bus and ferry networks, but not the S-Bahn urban rail system....
(Berlin Transport) used the closed-off portion as a shooting gallery.
In 1946 the city planned to rename the station again, to Franz-Werfel-Straße, and even made the change on street maps, but it was never actually changed.
In the early 1990s, one of the two remaining stairways from the street to the station was replaced with a lift, leaving only one exit in case of fire. The station now again has 2 stairways in addition to a lift.
The extension of the line south to Kreuzberg and Flughafen, and later beyond, was originally known as C II. In 1966 it became known as Line 6 and in 1986 as U6
U6 (Berlin U-Bahn)
U6 is a 19.9 km-long line on the Berlin U-Bahn with 29 stations. It belongs to the Großprofilnetz, that is larger profile rail vehicles run through its larger tunnels...
.
Design
The station was designed by Alfred GrenanderAlfred Grenander
Alfred Frederik Elias Grenander, , was one of the most prominent architects during the first building period of the Berlin U-Bahn in the first half of the twentieth century....
and was originally sandy-coloured. Around 1992, it was retiled in small white tiles with multicoloured accents representing the colours of all the Berlin U-Bahn lines, making it one of the most colourful stations in the system.