Tränenpalast, Cold War museum at Friedrichstraße station, Berlin, Germany
The Tränenpalast is a museum in the former border building at Friedrichstraße station in Berlin, documenting the history of German division. The structure displays border control equipment, travel documents, photographs, and video recordings from the period of separation.
The building functioned as a border crossing between East and West Berlin from 1962 to 1989, processing thousands of travelers daily through separate checkpoints. After the wall fell, it was preserved as a landmark and later converted into a museum to remember this border history.
The building preserves stories of families who said goodbye at this border crossing, showing how people coped with separation during division. The exhibition focuses on personal objects and letters that reveal the emotional impact of the split on ordinary lives.
The museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., weekends from 10 a.m., and admission is free. The exhibition is easy to reach on foot, located directly within the station building at a central Berlin location.
The building received protected monument status just one day before German reunification was officially completed. This recognition marked the moment the city acknowledged its divided past before the political unification was finalized.
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