Tempelhof (Germany)
Facts and figures
Origin of Link: 1961 Hendon Borough Council- Location: Suburb of Berlin, Germany
- Area: 5,308 ha
- History: founded in the 13th Century by the Knights Templars
- Population Size: 338,128
- Political Make-up: 20 Christian Democrats, 19 Social Democrats, 5 Liberal Party, 2 Democratic Socialists, 9 The Green Party.
Tempelhof in detail
Tempelhof is a suburb of Berlin, lying directly south of the city centre. The link was established in 1961 following an approach by the British Foreign Office to the old Hendon Borough Council.
The Foreign Office suggested the link as both areas are within a capital city and, at that time, both had an airfield. Today, Berlin-Tempelhof is a major international airport.
Tempelhof was founded in the 13th century by the order of the Knights Templars. In 1920, it was merged with the neighbouring rural communities of Mariendorf, Marienfelde and Lichtenrade to form the 13th Administrative District of Greater Berlin.
Air travel has been the prominent aspect of Tempelhof's history in the last 100 years. Pioneers of air flight experimented on a field in Tempelhof during the late 19th Century. Orville Wright set an altitude world record of 172 metres at the airfield in 1909.
On 8 October 1923, an airport was opened and in 1931 the airship 'Graf Zeppelin' landed there after its trip to America. The current impressive airport building, with its unique ¾ mile-long curved hangar, was opened in 1939 and was used by Adolf Hitler. It became the central hub for air travel in Europe.
Between 28 June 1948 and 11 May 1949, the airport was used for the vital 'Berlin Airlift' – 1,736,781 tons of food and clothing were flown in. Amongst the fatalities during this operation were 40 British servicemen.
Tempelhof covers 5,308 hectares. The population is 338,128 – with 28.9% aged between 45 and 65 and 15.1% older than 65.
Because of its potential for redevelopment after 1946, Tempelhof became an important reception area for people from other parts of Berlin who were looking for housing. After 1946, the number of inhabitants of Tempelhof increased by almost 70%. Tempelhof has remained a purely residential area.
Places of interest include the village church of Marienfelde (erected in 1220, it is the oldest building in Berlin) and the "Trabrennbahn" (trotting horse racecourse) at Mariendorf.
Tempelhof is also twinned with Amstelveen (Amsterdam), Charentin le Port (Paris), Natariyan (Israel), and the German districts of Yalderbarn and Werra-meissner.
Further information
Friends of Tempelhof contact:
- Chairman, Mrs Eve Hiscocks, Tel: 020 8445 5108
