Anhalter Bahnhof

Anhalter Bahnhof. Once the grand gateway to southern Europe from the imperial capital, this terminus was among the largest and most important railway stations in Berlin and Continental Europe. Designed by the prominent architect Franz Heinrich Schwechten, its colossal train shed and imposing facade symbolized the industrial and political might of Prussia and later the German Reich. From its opening in 1841 through its zenith before the Second World War, the station served as a critical hub for international luxury trains, including the famed Rheingold Express, connecting Berlin to destinations like Leipzig, Munich, Frankfurt, and ultimately Rome, Athens, and Constantinople.

History

The original station opened in 1841 as the Berlin terminus of the Anhalt Railway Company, linking the capital to Köthen and the burgeoning rail network of the German Confederation. Its strategic importance grew rapidly with the unification of Germany under Otto von Bismarck, necessitating a complete reconstruction. Between 1874 and 1880, the old structure was replaced by Schwechten's monumental new station, inaugurated in the presence of Kaiser Wilhelm I. The station's history is intertwined with major events, including the departure of troops during the Franco-Prussian War and the chaotic scenes of the German Revolution of 1918–1919. During the Weimar Republic, it became a central node for the Deutsche Reichsbahn and a symbol of modern travel, its fortunes declining only with the devastation of the Battle of Berlin.

Architecture

Franz Heinrich Schwechten's design was a masterwork of Neo-Renaissance architecture, executed in brick and sandstone. The main facade on Askanischer Platz was dominated by a massive, arched portal flanked by allegorical statues representing day and night, created by sculptor Ludwig Brunow. Its most celebrated feature was the vast, three-span train shed, an engineering marvel constructed from iron and glass by the company Schwarzkopf. With a clear span of 62 meters and a length of 170 meters, it was one of the largest such structures in the world upon completion, inspiring contemporaries like Lime Street in Liverpool and later projects by Gustave Eiffel. The interior featured grand waiting halls, a luxurious Hotel Excelsior, and direct access to the adjacent Tempodrom event space.

Significance and operations

As a primary international gateway, Anhalter Bahnhof was pivotal to Berlin's status as a European metropolis. It was the starting point for prestigious long-distance services operated by the Mitropa company, most notably the Rheingold Express to Basel and the Alpen Express to the Swiss Alps. Domestically, it connected the capital to major cities like Dresden, Nuremberg, and Stuttgart via the Anhalt Railway. The station complex was a city within a city, featuring extensive freight yards, maintenance facilities for the Prussian State Railways, and a sophisticated network of underground passages linking it to the Berlin U-Bahn and the legendary Hotel Excelsior, Berlin across the street.

Destruction and remains

Heavily damaged by Allied air raids in 1943 and 1944, the station was further ravaged during the final Battle of Berlin in 1945, with fierce fighting between the Wehrmacht and the advancing Red Army. Although patched up for limited service, the East German authorities deemed repair uneconomical and closed it permanently in 1952. The main hall was controversially demolished in 1960, despite protests from preservationists. Today, only the fragment of the central portal's brick facade, standing forlornly in a small park, remains as a memorial. The site is otherwise occupied by the Tempodrom venue, a DFB office building, and the entrance to the U-Bahn station Anhalter Bahnhof, with extensive ruins of the underground platforms and cellars still accessible on tours.

Cultural references

The station's grandeur and tragic fate have cemented its place in cultural memory. It features prominently in Fontane's novel Effi Briest and later in Isherwood's Berlin Stories, which inspired the musical Cabaret. It is depicted in films such as Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire and Inglourious Basterds by Quentin Tarantino. The ruins served as a setting in the novel Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada and appear in the video game Wolfenstein: The New Order. The surviving portal fragment is a frequent subject for photographers and artists, symbolizing both the lost grandeur of pre-war Berlin and the enduring scars of the 20th century's conflicts. Category:Railway stations in Berlin Category:Buildings and structures in Berlin Category:Former railway stations in Germany