Small Open Window
Tränenpalast, Berlin
"The building constructed in 1962 at Friedrichstraße train station in Berlin – known colloquially as the "Tränenpalast" or "Palace of Tears" – served the GDR dictatorship until 1990 as a departure terminal for people leaving the GDR for West Berlin. Like no other location, the pavilion serves as a reminder of the partition of Germany and of all the fates connected with it. Many individuals were forced to say goodbye to friends and relatives here. East Germans were painfully reminded time and again that the border was closed to them, while many others found themselves powerless in the face of bullying border guards..."
Small Open Window
Tränenpalast, Berlin
"The building constructed in 1962 at Friedrichstraße train station in Berlin – known colloquially as the "Tränenpalast" or "Palace of Tears" – served the GDR dictatorship until 1990 as a departure terminal for people leaving the GDR for West Berlin. Like no other location, the pavilion serves as a reminder of the partition of Germany and of all the fates connected with it. Many individuals were forced to say goodbye to friends and relatives here. East Germans were painfully reminded time and again that the border was closed to them, while many others found themselves powerless in the face of bullying border guards..."