Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 20: A transport hub with symbolic power
Key takeaways
- Berlin's central station was inaugurated in May 2006.
- https://p.dw.com/p/5E7o DIconic: Berlin central station at night, next to the Spree River Image: Markus Mainka/picture alliance Advertisement"This is a symbolic day, since this is also such a symbolic location.
- Merkel went on to praise the multilevel transportation hub as "a modern, open-minded and cosmopolitan structure" that also embodied the spirit of recently reunified Berlin and Germany.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Berlin's central station was inaugurated in May 2006. Beyond its functionality, the modern glass-and-steel structure was built to play a key role in reunified Germany.
https://p.dw.com/p/5E7o DIconic: Berlin central station at night, next to the Spree River Image: Markus Mainka/picture alliance Advertisement"This is a symbolic day, since this is also such a symbolic location. Right next to the former [Berlin] Wall, a new bridge is now being built between different directions, connecting the once-separated parts of Berlin in a completely new way," said then-Chancellor Angela Merkel in her speech marking the inauguration of Berlin Hauptbahnhof, the capital's new central train station, on May 26, 2006.
Merkel went on to praise the multilevel transportation hub as "a modern, open-minded and cosmopolitan structure" that also embodied the spirit of recently reunified Berlin and Germany.