S-Bahnhof Bornholmer Straße

The only above-ground ghost station. West and East S-Bahn tracks ran parallel through the station but were separated by a tall fence. Western trains did not stop here. Located next to the Bornholmer Straße road crossing where the Wall was first breached on the night of 9 November 1989.

Being above ground made Bornholmer Straße unique among the ghost stations. While underground ghost stations were hidden from view, here the division was visible to anyone passing by. Western and Eastern tracks separated by a tall fence and barbed wire, with armed guards monitoring the barrier. Passengers on Western trains could see across to the Eastern platform as they passed through without stopping.

The station’s location gave it a front-row seat to history: it sits directly next to the Bornholmer Straße road crossing, where the Berlin Wall was first breached on the night of 9 November 1989. As crowds surged across the Bösebrücke bridge above, the ghost station below remained closed, it would not reopen for several more weeks. Today it is a normal commuter station, with information boards recounting its extraordinary history.

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