Aviation Heritage in the Urban Landscape—Concept and Examples from Berlin
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Aviation Heritage—State-of-the-Art
3. Concept, Materials and Research Methods
- Former airfield left as an open ground—maintaining (entirely or partially) an open space, although the use of this space may be variable;
- Airport buildings—mainly airport terminal buildings, air traffic control towers, and airport hotels that have been preserved and repurposed for new functions;
- Preserved aeronautical infrastructure (on-site)—includes valuable aviation infrastructure, such as innovative structures recognized as technical heritage and legally protected, as well as remnants of runways, taxiways and airport aprons;
- Aircraft and off-site exhibits—relocated from other locations (including other airports or museums) and displayed as either solitary objects or collections in museums;
- Monuments and symbols commemorating aviation history;
- Preservation of place identity (cultural and toponymic preservation of aviation history)—encompassing names of buildings, places, and streets, murals and street art that refer to the aviation traditions of the site, and aviation-themed playgrounds for children;
- Ground plan of a former airport area preserved in the urban fabric (this category has not been identified in Berlin).
4. Results
4.1. Complicated History of Aviation in Berlin
4.1.1. Johannisthal—The Birthplace of Aviation
4.1.2. Staaken—The Airship Airport
4.1.3. Tempelhof—The “Mother of All Airports”
4.1.4. Gatow—A British Legacy
4.1.5. Tegel Airport—A Symbol of Modernity
4.2. Tangible and Intagible Aviation Heritage of Berlin and How It Is Protected?
4.2.1. Former Airfield Left as Open Ground
4.2.2. Airport Buildings—Terminals and Control Towers
4.2.3. Preserved Aeronautical Infrastructure (On-Site)
4.2.4. Aircrafts and Off-Site Exhibits
4.2.5. Monuments and Symbols Commemorating Aviation History
4.2.6. Cultural and Toponymic Preservation of Aviation Identity
4.2.7. Aviation Heritage at Former Airports of Berlin—A Summary
5. Discussion
5.1. Relevance of Aviation Heritage for the Local Population
5.2. Aviation Heritage as a Tourist Attraction
6. Conclusions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
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Airport Name | Years of Operation | Location | Function/Specialization of the Airport | Current Use |
---|---|---|---|---|
Johannisthal | 1909–1952/1995 | Adlershof district, post-WWII in the Soviet zone | Early aviation—training and testing airport; post-WWII used by the Soviet Army and the East German Army | 65 ha of green areas, approx. 25 ha of Humboldt University campus and science/technology park |
Staaken | 1916–1948 | Spandau district, post-WWII near the border of East Germany and West Berlin | Airship airport, later training and communication airport | Industrial and warehouse area, part of the area used as a solar panel field |
Tempelhof | 1923–2008 | Tempelhof-Schöneberg district, post-WWII in the American zone | Civilian airport—one of the oldest airports in Europe, temporarily used as a military airport | Recreational areas |
Gatow | 1935–1995 | Spandau district, post-WWII in the British zone | Military airport, used by Luftwaffe until 1945, then by the RAF | Military aviation museum, part of the area converted into a residential estate |
Tegel | 1948/1974–8 November 2020 | Reinickendorf district, post-WWII in the French zone | Initially a military airport, from 1960 a passenger airport, in 1974 became Berlin’s main passenger airport | Adaptation work underway to implement the Tegel Project |
Category | Johannisthal | Staaken | Tempelhof | Gatow | Tegel |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Former airfield left as open ground | Partly preserved—Nature Reserve (26 ha) and Landscape Protection Area (39 ha) | Not preserved—area built over and partially occupied by a solar farm | Fully preserved—Tempelhofer Feld (386 ha) maintained as a public space | Partially preserved, repurposed as an open-air aviation exhibition | Planned partial preservation—transformation into landscape park (approx. 190 ha) |
Terminal building, control tower | No remaining structures | Control tower preserved | Terminal building and control tower preserved | Control tower preserved | Terminal building and control tower preserved |
On-site infrastructure and equipment | Hangars, Large wind tunnel, Spin Tower, sound absorbing engine test stand | No remaining infrastructure | Runways and apron | Key infrastructure elements retained—airfield still capable of supporting aviation-related functions | Preservation of historically significant hangars and pyramid-shaped engine test facility as heritage monuments |
Aircrafts and off-site exhibits | No aircraft exhibits | No aircraft exhibits | Few aircraft of historical significance | Exhibits relocated from other places (mainly from the Bundeswehr Museum in Appen) | No aircraft display planned |
Monuments and symbols commemorating aviation history | Memorial plaque, information panels | No commemorative elements | Informational panels on aviation history, visitor information centre, information panels, visitor centre | Exhibition on the history of the airport in a former hangar, memorial, mural on a local supermarket | Planned historical exhibition focusing on the airport’s legacy |
Cultural and toponymic preservation of aviation identity | Air Borne Sound installation at the Aerodynamic Park, Street names and local landmarks referencing the site’s aviation heritage | Local business names (e.g., bar, business park) named after the Zeppelin Airship Factory | Names of local bars, restaurants and shops | Local street and place names | Following terminal redevelopment both interior and exterior elements will incorporate aviation-themed design references |
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Pijet-Migoń, E. Aviation Heritage in the Urban Landscape—Concept and Examples from Berlin. Heritage 2025, 8, 225. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8060225
Pijet-Migoń E. Aviation Heritage in the Urban Landscape—Concept and Examples from Berlin. Heritage. 2025; 8(6):225. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8060225
Chicago/Turabian StylePijet-Migoń, Edyta. 2025. "Aviation Heritage in the Urban Landscape—Concept and Examples from Berlin" Heritage 8, no. 6: 225. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8060225
APA StylePijet-Migoń, E. (2025). Aviation Heritage in the Urban Landscape—Concept and Examples from Berlin. Heritage, 8(6), 225. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8060225