Learn more about Tränenpalast in this short tour explaining the history of this border crossing at Friedrichstrasse Station and why it's referred to as the Palace of Tears.
The Palace of Tears
Description
The Palace of Tears is a former border crossing point at Friedrichstrasse Station in East Berlin and the only one still standing today.This tour addresses one of the most frequently posed questions regarding the Berlin Wall – if the city was physically divided then how did it function?
We look at how westerners reached the east and returned, and follow the surprising story that East Germans could actually legally leave the DDR during the height of global tensions of the Cold War. But how?
On this short tour, we actually travel on the border train route from west to east and pass through the only Berlin Wall border crossing still standing. We think of the divided community that greeted each other here and then waved goodbye. Berliners have nicknames for most of their prominent monuments, but this building’s name gives us a sense of the emotions felt by Berliners during their daily lives at the height of their Cold War, still felt by some in the population even today.
Tour Highlights
- Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
- Kindertransport Sculptures
- Follow the Transit border train route
- How Westerners entered the east...
- ...& how Easterners entered the west
- Story of Wolf Biermann
Length: 16 mins
Guide: Nick Jackson
TCBC have excelled themselves by responding to our lack of ability to travel this year and bringing Berlin to us instead. These excellent virtual tours at a fair, accessible price are a must-have add-on to our classroom teaching this year and a valuable educational resource in themselves. Thank you TCBC - a great addition to an already fantastic product.
