TRÄNENPALAST - PALACE OF TEARS
Go there and contact
A memorial to the division of the city and the consequences of the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.
The Tränenpalast is a place of remembrance that helps us to better understand the division of the city during the Cold War and the consequences of the construction of the Wall in 1961. The Friedrichsstraße railway station had the strange status of being a station within East German territory, but where the S-Bahn and the U6, which served to transport West Berliners, met. After the Wall was built, the building was constructed as a border crossing. It was nicknamed the Palace of Tears because of the many painful separations it witnessed between 1962, when it was built, and 1989. The exhibition presents objects and souvenirs from that period, testimonies, especially from East German citizens who managed to flee here by deceiving the border guards. There is also a reconstruction of the checkpoint and a model of the station. An astonishing video from West German television in 1989 after the fall of the Wall shows an East German border guard explaining his way of checking passports and the special attention he pays to earlobes, which are quite different from one man to another. A way to better grasp the influence that the Wall has had on the lives of thousands of Berliners in this place that illustrates better than any other the trauma of the division of Germany. If you have a smartphone and headphones, you can take the tour with an audioguide in French.
Did you know? This review was written by our professional authors.
Book the Best Activities with Get Your Guide
Members' reviews on TRÄNENPALAST - PALACE OF TEARS
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
Find unique Stay Offers with our Partners
Une exposition très riche et bien présentée qui nous en apprend beaucoup sur sur ce lieu chargé d'histoire !
A faire absolument !
De nombreux objets, photos y sont exposés rappelant l'histoire douloureuse des deux ALLEMAGNE.
A visiter absolument (gratuit).
Pour information, les photographies sont interdites.