Tränenpalast

The “Palace of Tears” was the departure hall at Friedrichstraße station where East Germans said goodbye to visiting Western relatives, often not knowing when they would meet again. The glass pavilion earned its name from the tears shed at these farewells. Now a free museum with a permanent exhibition on daily life in divided Germany.

The glass-and-steel departure hall was built in 1962 directly adjacent to Friedrichstraße station as a dedicated border crossing point. East Germans who had been permitted a rare visit from Western relatives would accompany them to this hall, where the farewell took place in full view of border guards before the Westerners passed through passport control and customs to return to the West.

These farewells were often agonising. Families separated by the wall might see each other only once a year, or less, and each goodbye carried the unspoken fear that the East German authorities might deny future visits. The emotional scenes that played out daily in the hall gave it its name: Tränenpalast, the Palace of Tears.

Since 2011, the preserved hall has housed a free permanent exhibition by the Stiftung Haus der Geschichte, documenting daily life in divided Germany. Exhibits include original border control booths, personal belongings confiscated from travellers, and recordings of the experiences of both travellers and border guards.

 Show me on the map

Gallery