That’s because it lies very close to the former Berlin Wall, where the city was divided into essentially two different countries. This was one of the few places authorized people could legally cross the border, and to make it work, the station was divided in half by a large barrier that separated trains arriving from the East and West. Patrons would have to go through a series of customs (similar to what you’d experience at a present-day airport) before they could get to the other side of the barrier and continue their train journey. Adjacent to the station is a glass building called the Tränenpalast, or ‘palace of tears,’ which was built by the Soviet government for people crossing from East Berlin to the West. Since this was the site of many people saying their final goodbyes to family members permanently leaving East Berlin, it was the site of much distress and trauma, hence its name. When I visited this building, I saw a small exhibit about its history with models and diagrams of the divided station inside. It was hard to believe how recently this was being used (only 35 years ago!) Even though the horrors of World War II feel farther away, the many monuments and memorials around the city continue to serve as a reminder of Germany’s troubled past, and aim to warn us against repeating these mistakes in the future.
