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Post by silenthunter on Jan 27, 2018 20:27:23 GMT
Moving this over from the Croxley thread.
It was actually possible to go from West Berlin to East Berlin via U6; you would have to get off at Friedrichstrasse and go through the GDR border controls there, including paying DM 15 for a day visa and another DM 25 compulsory currency exchange into East German marks, which you had to spend there, not being allowed to bring them back with you.
The site of the departure controls, known as "The Palace of Tears" is now a memorial museum.
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Post by snoggle on Jan 27, 2018 20:48:59 GMT
I was lucky enough to get to West Berlin on an Inter-Rail around the time some of the travel restrictions were eased for Germans. I went through at Checkpoint Charlie and spent an interesting time in East Berlin. It was really weird compared to West Berlin and with it being a Saturday afternoon it was extremely difficult to spend any money! Nowhere was open. Tried to get back to West Berlin via a different checkpoint and told that it wasn't possible so a slightly paniced escapade ensued to get back to Checkpoint Charlie and get out!
I did ride on the U Bahn line that ran non stop through East Berlin where there were armed guards on the closed platforms to prevent escapes. A surreal experience.
I got back to Berlin when the Wall was starting to come down - I even chipped a few bits off myself. Although more open there were vast areas without any development where the wall had been. You could see bullet holes in the buildings near the former border. I also travelled on the tram that ran on the abandoned U Bahn alignment between Nollendorfplatz and Bulowstrasse. There was a flea market in one of the disused stations - I had a fabulous Turkish kebab there. I am pleased that I got to Berlin when I did as I saw a fair number of disused railways, abandoned stations and undeveloped areas plus the start of the process of restoring East to West transport links and the merging of the BVB / BVG transport fleets. Places like Potsdamer Platz are unrecognisable from how they were when I first saw them.
Berlin is one of my favourite cities - full of (difficult) history but great architecture, good culture, v interesting transport network. Like many cities it has had periods of struggle and decline alongside the good times. Not unlike London in many respects. Must go back sometime - if the exchange rate ever becomes vaguely decent again.
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Post by theblackferret on Jan 27, 2018 21:38:56 GMT
I was lucky enough to get to West Berlin on an Inter-Rail around the time some of the travel restrictions were eased for Germans. I went through at Checkpoint Charlie and spent an interesting time in East Berlin. It was really weird compared to West Berlin and with it being a Saturday afternoon it was extremely difficult to spend any money! Nowhere was open. Tried to get back to West Berlin via a different checkpoint and told that it wasn't possible so a slightly paniced escapade ensued to get back to Checkpoint Charlie and get out! I did ride on the U Bahn line that ran non stop through East Berlin where there were armed guards on the closed platforms to prevent escapes. A surreal experience. I got back to Berlin when the Wall was starting to come down - I even chipped a few bits off myself. Although more open there were vast areas without any development where the wall had been. You could see bullet holes in the buildings near the former border. I also travelled on the tram that ran on the abandoned U Bahn alignment between Nollendorfplatz and Bulowstrasse. There was a flea market in one of the disused stations - I had a fabulous Turkish kebab there. I am pleased that I got to Berlin when I did as I saw a fair number of disused railways, abandoned stations and undeveloped areas plus the start of the process of restoring East to West transport links and the merging of the BVB / BVG transport fleets. Places like Potsdamer Platz are unrecognisable from how they were when I first saw them. Berlin is one of my favourite cities - full of (difficult) history but great architecture, good culture, v interesting transport network. Like many cities it has had periods of struggle and decline alongside the good times. Not unlike London in many respects. Must go back sometime - if the exchange rate ever becomes vaguely decent again. Sincerely hope nobody in 'authority' at a certain Hertfordshire location reads this. Armed guards on the CassioParkStrasse overpass and further ones on the Maglev/Hova/TubeTram itself sound like a must. |
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gantshill
I had to change my profile pic!
Posts: 1,348
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Post by gantshill on Jan 27, 2018 22:23:41 GMT
I can recommend Brian Hardy's excellent books on the Berlin U-bahn and S-bahn.
I visited the GDR in 1986 crossing the Wall on the S-bahn to Friedrichstraße. Alas, I didn't manage to go under East Berlin on one of the West Berlin lines. But we did stay in an international youth hotel that had views of an East Berlin U-bahn depot near to Tierpark station.
I presume that the M-bahn used similar technology to the Birmingham International Maglev shuttle.
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