Tranenpalast

Tränenpalast

Historic Mitte


During the Cold War, tears flowed copiously in this glass-and-steel border-crossing pavilion where East Berliners had to bid adieu to family visiting from West Germany – hence its ‘Palace of Tears’ moniker. The exhibit uses original objects (including the claustrophobic passport control booths and a border auto-firing system), photographs and historical footage to document the division’s social impact on the daily lives of Germans on both sides of the border.


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