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Berlin Airlift Monument

Berlin Airlift Monument

The Luftbrückendenkmal (Berlin Airlift Monument) in Berlin-Tempelhof.

漏 visitBerlin, Foto: Dagmar Schwelle

The sculpture on Platz der Luftbrücke in front of the decommissioned building commemorates the effort to supply the West Berlin population during the Berlin Blockade.

The Luftbrückendenkmal (Berlin Airlift Monument) was inaugurated in 1951. Architect Eduard Ludwig designed the 20-metre-high reinforced concrete sculpture in the form of a stylized bridge pillar. It symbolizes the airlift that ensured the survival of West Berliners during the Berlin Blockade.

Raisin bombers: supply from the air

The Berlin Blockade lasted from June 24, 1948 to May 12, 1949, when the Soviet occupation blocked all rail and road connections between West Berlin and the western occupation zones, from where supplies had previously come. This meant that food, medicine, coal and raw materials had to be brought to West Berlin by the Allies using airplanes. The American planes, which dropped sweets for children among other things, went down in history as the so-called Rosinenbomber ("raisin bombers").

Take-offs and landings every minute

Most of the Allied aircraft landed at Tempelhof Airport. Up to a thousand take-offs and landings took place there every day. A total of 39 British, 33 Americans and 5 German workers lost their lives in this demanding operation. A bronze band at the base of the airlift memorial commemorates the victims.

More sculptures to commemorate the Airlift

The three vertical ribs of the Airlift Monument stand for the three air corridors that lay between West Germany and West Berlin. These ran north towards Hamburg, south towards Frankfurt am Main and west towards Hanover. In addition to the Airlift Monument at Platz der Luftbrücke, there are other sculptures of this type in Frankfurt am Main and Celle. The duplicates were erected in later years.

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 Address
Platz der Luftbr眉cke 2
12101 Berlin

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Last edited: 25 February 2025