Special exhibition at Tempelhof Airport

2023/24 marks the 75th anniversary of the “Airlift”, an event closely linked to Berlin’s history. To mark the occasion, three contemporary history museums in Berlin (Museum of Military History of the Bundeswehr at the Berlin-Gatow Airfield, the Allied Museum Berlin and the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst) have jointly developed an open-air exhibition to be shown at Tempelhof Airport.

The exhibition covers the entire period of the Berlin Blockade 75 years ago. This location is not only central to the history of the city and the Airlift, the airport also celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2023.

The narrative of the success and achievement of the Airlift is generally known. The exhibition adds further perspectives to this view: How did the blockade and airlift come about in 1948 in the first place? What policies did the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, as victorious and occupying powers, pursue towards Germany and Berlin in the first post-war years? What do the blockade and the airlift have to do with the division of the city? How do Berliners experience this period? And what role does the Airlift play in Berlin’s culture of remembrance? The exhibition explores these questions in four chapters: Blockaded Victors, Divided Berlin, Airlift, Myth and Commemoration.

Where?	Link google maps
Prices \| Opening hours	Free entry \| The exhibition will be accessible at all times.
Duration of exhibition	29 June 2023 – 12 May 2024
Languages	German, English, French and Russian. A handout in Ukrainian is available on site at the visitor centre.
Publications	Content of the Online-publication: In the essays, the curators further examine topics addressed in the exhibition. These include the security policy situation in Europe after World War II, the motivations behind the actions of the four victorious powers before and during the first Berlin crisis, the actual supply situation in the Western sectors of the city at the time, and the so-called backlift – an airlift topic that has always been the subject of controversy. The bibliographical references following the essays provide an overview of the research situation on the blockade and the airlift. Introduction – Doris Müller-Toovey Berlin blockade \| Airlift to Berlin (1948/49) – A security policy classification – Marc Hansen “We’ll stay. Period.” The political decisions of the Western Powers immediately after the blockade of West Berlin – Bernd von Kostka The Soviet perspective during the Berlin Crisis, 1948/49 – Jörg Morré Starving for Freedom? Supply strategies in everyday life during the blockade in West Berlin – Ricardo Neuner “Planes plundering us.” An eternal airlift myth? – Matthias Heisig
Guided tours	Public tours take place in German. every 1st Sunday of the month at 12 noon 7.1. \| 4.2. \| 3.3. \| 7.4. The tours are free of charge; pre-registration is not necessary. To book a tour in English, contact mhmgatowfuehrungen(at)bundeswehr.org You can book guided tours for specific time slots. To the booking portal When booking, please indicate whether you would like a guided tour in German or English. For larger groups, guided tours in French or Russian can also be arranged.
Ideas for the classroom	On the occasion of the exhibition, an accompanying educational publication has been published with ideas for teaching history in lower and upper secondary schools. Structured in several thematic areas, the handout for teachers is linked in terms of content and method to the corresponding subject sections of the framework curriculum for history in Berlin and Brandenburg. Blocked Victors – Divided Berlin. 75 Years of the Airlift Ideas for the classroom 60 pages Edited by Karin H. Grimme and Stephan Horn on behalf of the Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow Airfield Publication of the Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow Air Base, Berlin 2023 INTRODUCTION The Blockade of West Berlin 1948/49: The Anniversary in History Teaching Thomas Zehrer, Berlin-Brandenburg State Institute for Schools and Media TOPIC The world as seen by the victorious powers after May 1945 Karl Finke, Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow Airfield The situation in Berlin after the end of the war in 1945 Karin Grimme, Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow Airfield The implementation of the airlift Veit Lehmann, Allied Museum Berlin The Supply Situation in West Berlin during the Blockade Arkadi Miller and Ricardo Neuner, Museum Berlin-Karlshorst Myth and Memory: The Blockade and the Airlift in West-East Remembrance Culture Stephan Horn, Military History Museum Berlin-Gatow Airfield
Accompanying programme (IN GERMAN) Venue: CHECK-IN Visitor Centre – directly on the square in front of the former departure hall of Tempelhof Airport (Platz der Luftbrücke 5, Building C2, 12101 Berlin) The events take place in German.	mit Paul Hicks (ehem. Vorsitzender des Fördervereins für die Erinnerungsstätte Luftbrücke Berlin e.V. in Faßberg) undTimothy Moss (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) Moderation: Bernd von Kostka (AlliiertenMuseum Berlin) mit Matthias Heisig (freier Historiker/Kurator der Ausstellung) und Thomas Wörtche (Literaturkritiker) Moderation: Doris Müller-Toovey (Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow) mit Walther Grunwald (Zeitzeuge/Autor) und Malte Zierenberg (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) Moderation: Jörg Morré (Museum Berlin-Karlshorst) Axel Drieschner (Dokumentationszentrum Alltagskultur der DDR) und Ulrich Pfeil (Université de Lorraine) Moderation: Doris Müller-Toovey Dr. Gerhard Sälter (Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer) und Dr. Jörg Morré (Museum Berlin-Karlshorst) Begrüßung: Anna Lena Joisten (Tempelhof Projekt GmbH) Bernd Stöver (Universität Potsdam) und Jürgen Lillteicher (AlliiertenMuseum) Begrüßung: Anna Lena Joisten (Tempelhof Projekt GmbH)

Special exhibition at Tempelhof Airport

Blockaded Victors – Divided Berlin.
75 Years Airlift

Where?

Prices | Opening hours

Duration of exhibition

Languages

Publications

Guided tours

Ideas for the classroom

Accompanying programme

(IN GERMAN)