West Berlin S-Bahn train trip beside Berlin Wall, 1989

West Berlin, Germany in 1989, shortly before the fall of the Iron Curtain of communism. We first see Friedrichstrasse station, the rail interchange between West & East Berlin.
@ 1:00 we depart Gesundbrunnen on S-Bahn line 2 to Wollankstrasse, running beside the Berlin Wall from 2:13.
From 3:30 can be seen the multi-coloured apartment blocks of East Berlin, reminding us that communism was not always drab and grey!
@ 4:26 Frohnau, the then northern terminus of the line.
@ 5:23 Adenaurplatz U-Bahn, then
@ 6:33 Westkreuz, including
@ 7:22 the disused ring-bahn high level platforms there, which are now re-opened(?).
@ 7:42 Wittenberg U-Bahn with a gift of a roundel sign from London Transport @ 8:44.
@ 9:28 we take a short antique tram ride from Nollendorf to Mockernbrucke, then
@ 12:22 a street view of Charlottenburg S-Bahn station &
@ 14:09 Savignyplatz.

[@MrMynzapint]

I was an exchange student in Berlin in 1970, and regularly travelled by S-Bahn and U-Bahn to Friedrichstraße in East Berlin, which was much cheaper than the West, although the border guards were a real pain. This video brings back sooooo many memories, especially Wittenbergplatz, where my branch of the Berliner Volksbank was, and the sign for Krumme Lanke, which was where I lived. Loved my time in Berlin, but it’s a very different city now.

[@vicdesanti5264]

I remember Friedrich Strasse station. It was dark and lonely. I arrived there in the early morning in November 1979 on a train from Amsterdam. I met 3 guys in the train - an American, Algerian, and another European. We all went down at that station instead of the Zoogarten on the Western side of Berlin. It was some experience to find ourselves in East Germany. We didn't know how to return to return to the West. We were the only people on the platform except for 2 soldiers marching back and forth. The soldiers with machine guns kept pointing to the ground and saying "Berlin, Berlin", when I asked how to go to West Berlin. We all thought that it was the end of us, and we would be locked into an East German prison as spies. :-)

[@stephenschneekloth1435]

Happy (mostly) memories. As a young 24 year old, I lived in Leipzig for a month in August 1988 to study German and crossed the border many times at Freidrichstrasse and Checkpoint Charlie. One visit back to Leipzig in late 1988 was nearly a disaster. I missed my train back to East Berllin and arrived in the city around @ in the morning. I was terrified as the border closed at midnight and I was travelling illegally on a tourist day visa that limits travel to Berlin only. I had visions of being arrested and locked up for life....I arrived at Friedrichstrasse crossing but it was shut and the city deserted. Stupidly I managed to open the big metal gates into the transit area under the bridge despite the warnings and walked into the crossing area to the astonishment of a young border guard who nearly shot me. I shouted 'Auslander' and waved my British passport at him. Thankfully all ended well but it aged me about 10 years...

[@flopunkt3665]

Oh man, you don't wanna mess with border guards in a communist country. That was dangerous.

[@iamarizonaball2642]

Me: hi, want a cactus? The border guard wonder why the hell I had that on me:

[@MarkusDuesseldorf]

I always wonder about the minds of the people who lived in these apartments. They could see the West, they could see people in the train, but they knew that they were never allowed to go there.

[@thereal_turtle]

I wonder how many people tried jumping out their windows or balconies to get over. That's got to be something you would try if you're desperate to get across

[@AS-bc9qd]

They got used to it I guess and didn't think about it anymore.

[@oliverkopplin8795]

A lot of the buildings near the wall on East Berlin side were either unoccupied or people lived there close to the East German government and rated "no flight risk". A normal average East Berliner would never be able to live that close to the border.

[@mikethespike7579]

Only loyal party members lived in those flats. Still, I'm sure they weren't so loyal that they didn't wonder what it must be like on the other side whenever they looked out of the window.

[@jensmeier4371]

Damals brachte Berlin noch Spass und war schön! Danke für den Film aus dieser schönen Zeit.

[@forgiveninasong]

What strikes me most about this video is, having watched the East Berlin S Bahn and U Bahn videos beforehand, the difference in advertising and colour. A stark contrast!

[@vicdesanti5264]

Very true. There was a very big difference, indeed!

[@raymondmiller5098]

The "multi-colored apartment buildings" were only painted on the side visible to the West Berlin S-Bahn (and U-Bahn also, as a few portions happened to run above ground). I know this for a fact as I lived in Wedding (borough) in the early 1990s, used the Wollankstr. Station daily, and hiked around these structures often (which are in the former East Berlin borough of Pankow) snooping around. Any East Berlin streets/bldgs. not visible from West Berlin were unpainted, dilapidated, unmaintained - a total, drab, unmitigated mess!

[@mchlbk]

This is an important historical document.

[@sven471111]

unforgettable sound of the old S-Bahn

[@Haremheb76]

Dieses Geräusch beim Anfahren!!! Ich seh direkt die Holzbänke und Holzverkleidung der Fenster.... und dieser Geruch, nach Bremsbelag, Zigarettenqualm und Mensch... So schön war mal die S-Bahn in Berlin!!! Meine Herren von der DB!!! Merken!!! Saubande!!! ;)

[@GoodVideos4]

I was in Berlin, West and East, in September 1989.

[@jorgealves8578]

That's the Berlin I used to know: Eine Frontstadt. Heutzutage is Berlin nur eine Stadt mehr!

[@GoodVideos4]

I read that 2 U-Bahn stations closed in East Berlin. That's because a West Berlin train ran through those stations. Not many people knew that.

[@reenabanerji2412]

Actually, there were 2 U-bahn lines and 1 S-bahn line which crossed through East Berlin. Only Friedrichstrasse was open, several other U-bahn and S-bahn stations were closed.

[@mikethespike7579]

A lot of those stations belonged to my haunts at the time of that footage was made, York Strasse, Charlottenburg, Westkreuz. In fact some still do. But they've changed a lot since then.

[@Yolticat]

Thanks! Merci! Danke!

[@MusikTravel]

Echt tolles Video :D Diese Aufnahmen sind echt Goldwert.

[@1769Joner]

Berlin was exciting back then !

[@whosafraidoferiknrding4470]

This is a great video, thanks for posting it!

[@andreasmeinke5644]

Vielen herzlichen Dank für diese Erinnerungen - Thank you so much for this Memorys

[@danielf1313]

Danke fürs Einstellen-beim Anschauen kam wieder das alte wohlig-schaurige West Berliner Inselgefühl hoch.

[@MGstaR17]

This S-Bahn has a funny sound. :) Very interesting to see the no-man's land beside the wall, which is now today completely restored.

[@erik_griswold]

At 0:17 you captured the East German Intershop which took only Western (Hard) Currency and acted like a Duty-Free kiosk at Friedrichstrasse. Except you could get stopped by West Berlin police and charged a fine if caught taking your purchases back into the western sectors.

[@konnimusic]

Dieselben U Bahnen gibt es ja heute immer noch und ich schätze dass es sie noch einige Zeit geben wird. Ansonsten hat sich ja echt schon viel verändert..

[@GoodVideos4]

Can see briefly at 12:23 the traffic lights in Germany go from red, to red and amber, and then green. At many other places, it's red and then green. So, one mustn't be napping at the red light.

[@Kaizerzydeco1]

Red to red and amber then green is the best way. Nobody has to crane their necks to see the amber on the crossing light.

[@Ale041]

Very nice video!!

[@ThePilotman329]

Was waren das für Zeiten... Ich kann mich noch sehr gut erinnern.... Und sogar den "blauen" Flughafenbus haste ooch mitjefilmt am Stutti.... Mir komm da echt die Tränen, wenn ick an jetze denke und die janzen Ossis überall... Unsan schönen Sonderstatus uffjejeben ham wa für die und wat ham wa davon? Nüscht!

[@lilloseddio4872]

TheoPilotman329: Doch, ham wa noch watt jekricht, n Arschtritt.

[@SchwarzeWitwe2]

The abandoned platform is incredibly dystopian. I feel like I'm about to be rescued by a teen girl.

[@PatrickLechevallier]

Merci beaucoup pour la tres belle vidéo....que de souvenirs!Ein tolles Video....Damals war ich noch Soldat mit den Franzosen in Tegel und ich bin oefters mit der S-Bahn in West Berlin gefahren.....Sehr bemerkenswert....Gott sei dank gibt es Heute nur Ein Berlin!

[@kazha28]

2:20 an die Mauer kann ich mich noch genau erinnern Als Kind hat mich dieses alte Stück Berliner Mauer sehr fasziniert weil auf der Mauer Glasscherben verteilt waren Tolles Video

[@robfriedrich2822]

Es hatte schon was bizarres, wenn in einer Stadt, in der die Straßenbahn abgeschafft wurde, eine solche auf einer außer Betrieb befindlichen Hochbahnstrecke fährt.

[@muelesariocontra]

This just looks so unnatural. A modern city downtown full of life and colorful neons completely surrounded by high security penitentiary-like perimeters, and outside of that a dystopic, decaying world ruled by secret police and total isolation from the rest of the world.

[@Shalott63]

It was a weird situation - in one sense the West Berliners were prisoners in their own city but in another sense the East Germans were prisoners in their own country. The Westerners could travel to West Germany and other western countries, but not to the countryside immediately outside Berlin; vice versa the Easterners. Most of the time the West Berliners could also go on day trips into East Berlin (but not the rest of East Germany), but it wasn't really all that tempting.

[@ulrichlehnhardt4293]

cool. 13:19 ich hatte ganz vergessen, dass der 9er Bus früher blau lackiert war.

[@tea4177]

die 8 zum Airport von Osloer Str. war auch blau und es gab auch mal früher Doppeldecker auf der 9 ...hier auf Traditionsfahrt oder geb mal in KZbin ein "ATB Flughafen Tegel" DF, D2U, SD u.a. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eYvOcpSEitWFp5I

[@tea4177]

noch 'n 9er , damals scon mit 2 Treppen ...hatte die BVG nur 29 Stück von gehabt kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnnEnniIl8d5jac

[@oliverkopplin8795]

I used to live right next to a 9er (Tegeler Weg/Schlossbruecke). There were two 9er colors: yellow and blue. Both went to Airport Tegel. The yellow 9er had more regular bus stations and the blue one was an Airport X-Press skipping a bunch of bus stations.

[@MrRacermike1967]

Erstaunlich wie sauber die Bahnsteige damals waren und die Passagiere ruhig und gesittet die Züge betreten und verlassen haben. Im Gegensatz zu heute. Das ist und bleibt mein West Berlin auf ewig. Ick liebe Dir uff ewig

[@lilloseddio4872]

MrRacermike: Und ick Dir, weil de ne schöne Erinnerung jeschriebm hast. Ick lieb Berlinn ooch und hab so Heimweh nachn Kurfürstendamm, ooch wenna nich mehr so iss, wiea ma war.Ick bleib Berlin meiner Alten Liebe treu ! Jeborn und ufjewachsen am Gesundbrunnen, Bastianstraße.Jrüße aus Bad.-Württemberg und pass uff Dia uff, Tschö mit ö

[@tea4177]

cool, i'am a West-Berlin-Boy, my City ;-)

[@mariokonig7541]

das GO IN in der Uhlandstr. der Jahrmarkt am Savigny Platz, der Hardenbergplatz....passano gli anni ...ma fu un divertimento.....war eine super Zeit.....

[@depausvandelilithkerk5785]

Ich kom aus Amsterdam und liebe Berlin Lichtefelde west

[@raylsistemlerbir6763]

Süper video, So how was the gleisdreieck station being passed? Tram? Do you have a video on this? Wie wurde also die Gleisdreieck-Station passiert? Tram? Hast du ein Video dazu?

[@marvo1111]

Westberlin war schon geil

[@MarkusDuesseldorf]

Ich fand Berlin auch geil. Viele junge Menschen, immer viel los, aber ohne überlaufen zu sein (das kam ja erst nach der Wende), und es war ja auch die größte Stadt Deutschlands. Und wenn man ein Abenteuer suchte, konnte man ja problemlos einen Trip in den Osten machen. Ich war zur Wendezeit 19 Jahre alt und hatte vor, dorthin zu ziehen, um mich hier nicht mit der Bundeswehr rumplagen zu müssen. Als dann aber die Wende kam, hatte ich es wieder verworfen, da das Flair damit ja ein für allemal vorbei war.

[@uwepaul9328]

ich bin ein Berliner!!! Greetings to all Non Berliner!!! :D

[@florislok]

Ich auch...from Amsterdam...

[@csabafekete]

2:40 Bornholmer Straße / Bösebrücke Grenzübergang

[@miguellindstrom4204]

Die Durchsage „letzter Bahnhof in Berlin-West“.

[@lilloseddio4872]

Miguel Lindstrom: Das war jedesmal beängstigend, durch diese leeren Bahnhöfe zu fahren. Werde diese Zeit nie vergessen.

[@heinrichw.seekamp6031]

These multi- coulored house that are praised here ARE actually in WEST-Berlin! The filming was done from the East-Berlin perspective. This can cleary be detected by the "wrong" i.e. eastern perspective on the Wall fortifications - fences and watchtowers!

[@Yolticat]

+Heinrich Seekamp The filming was from the West Berlin side here, so the coloured houses were in East Berlin. Perhaps they were sending a message to the West that the East was more colourful than we thought?

[@juboo4451]

@@tylerlewis4192 friends of mine are living in these houses now :D And yes, GDR houses typically wouldn't look like this. Must be because of the wall.

[@barryrowlings83]

You can see the Train go under the Bornholmer Strasse bridge. The Ghost Station would have been on the other side of the train where the Camera is. As the train is headed north the Wall would be on the East side of the train so the buildings are on the East Side opposite.

[@Wondwind]

I take this route every day

[@Bjoern020184]

Wann bist du wieder und machst ein Update?

[@Francis-Macon]

Diese Aufnahmen sind vermutlich wenige Monate vor dem Fall der Mauer entstanden.

[@MarkusDuesseldorf]

If you recorded that before November 9th, I wonder how you could film at Friedrichstrasse station. Filming was prohibited there and there was law all over the place.

[@Yolticat]

It was ok to film the West Berlin part of Friedrichstrasse station, which this was.

[@MarkusDuesseldorf]

Also the western part of Bahnhof Friedrichstrasse was East German territory, and it was a high security border zone. Filming or photographing was definitely not allowed there.

[@Yolticat]

I knew not that......fortunately I got away with it. I was more careful when visiting the East side! "Don't mention the Wall......I did once but I think I got away with it!" - Fawlty

[@brandonu.6422]

Dude its so cool how you got to experience this! Must've been crazy times back then

[@Bellasie1]

@@YolticatThank you so much for a fantastic video and its timed explanations. I think the short antique tram ride @9'28 is not to U. Möckernbrücke but U. Bülowstraße, though. Both the Bülowstraße station and departure Nollendorfplatz station were used as bazars at the time.

[@michaelfisher9267]

Did part of the old Line 2 S-Bahn run officially through GDR territory?

[@haisheauspforte1632]

Yes, but in only stopped in Friedrichstraße, the other Stations were closed.

[@roderick8997]

Facts: 0:00 some of that train is currently used by North Korea

[@pixler4900]

Yes. The BVG have sold them North Korea.

[@jonmilling703]

Is that Bornholmer bridge that can be seen from the S-bahn during the first part of the film? Great footage from back then

[@barryrowlings83]

Looks like it

[@ofrisingstar3579]

Ach aus Ostsicht! Habe ich noch nie gesehen, von der Ostseite. Danke an denjenigen. Nein,falsch. Das erste Stück ist doch nicht die Westseite? Die Plattenbaumauer mit der "Rolle" oben drauf war doch die Westseite.. Ich habs,sorry. War im Westen die Fahrt. Ich sehs jetzt.

[@tommyandersson3145]

Very nice

[@Yolticat]

@TheBusfan94 Danke!

[@reruhl3279]

Bei 10:16 hat es wohl einen Unfall gegeben 😂

[@emanuelkant1293]

Schönes Video ! Genau so ne Video findet menn auch auf mein Kanal =D

[@italiannameportugueseguy5400]

unglaublich

[@Kaizerzydeco1]

What line is the old tram on?

[@raylsistemlerbir6763]

başka bir yerde görsem Nullendorfplatz ta çimen çıktığına inanmazdım ama çıkmış, Neden U1 rotasında Metro işletmek yerine basit bir tramvay konulmuş anlamış değilim?

[@groeroheim7557]

Güzergahın duvarla bölünmesi nedeniyle metro operasyonu işe yaramadı. Tramvay müze treniydi çünkü Batı Berlin'de başka tramvay yoktu. Google ile çevrildi

[@DELFO2907]

Gutes Altes West Berlin

[@Bjoern020184]

Wann bist du wieder da und zeigst die Veränderungen?

[@Yolticat]

Björn Mielke Immer noch nicht!

[@GermanCube]

Weiß jemand, was es mit dem historischen Zug bei ~ Minute 10 auf sich hat?

[@ulrichlehnhardt4293]

+GermanCube Ich bin mir nicht sicher, aber ich glaube, dass das eine historische Straßenbahn ist, die zwischen Nollendorfplatz und Bülowstraße fuhr. Diese Strecke wurde ja zu Mauerzeiten nicht von der U-Bahn befahren und im U-Bahnhof Nollendorfplatz war ein Flohmarkt.

[@MAANDTO]

+Ulrich Lehnhardt Richtig!

[@GermanCube]

Lustiger Weise habe ich jetzt gerade etwas über den Flohmarkt am Nollendorfplatz gelesen, Zufälle gibt's :D

[@robfriedrich2822]

Gleich am Anfang der U-Bahnhof Friedrichstr.

[@robfriedrich2822]

Station der niedrigen Preise. Gut, wieder in Westberlin gab es Überraschungen

[@HANDMUSICTAPELOOP]

The Mofa wall before it became the Mofa wall!

[@0superalfred]

Danke für`s hochladen. Dazu passt dieses Video kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGm5dZaJhM-dh5I Gruß aus München.

[@peterlj613]

2:45 Bornholmer Strasse?

[@groeroheim7557]

Yes.

[@erwannlegrand1197]

Leurs chez eux pour l'éternité Milenaire moyen age

[@goclunker]

Before these trains were shipped to north korea

[@tulayeker4379]

😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👏👐👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jurgenobst-tb1dv]

Babam...

[@zaferyurt7703]

LOL writes in Turkish 12:18

[@thomasostarek2829]

sehr traurig und gruselig,,,,die meisten häuser hat man auf DDR seite abreissen lassen....schussfreie sicht..deswegen auch die halbierung.....

[@hopfenkaltschale]

Ich habe dort gewohnt, kurz vor dem Bahnhof Wollankstr. 3:45 in dem dunkleren der gelben Häuser, bis April 89. Dort wurden, soweit ich weiß in den Sechzigern, die Seitenflügel der Häuser verkürzt, weil "zu dicht" an der Mauer standen. Straßenseitig durfte Besuch nur mit vorher Beantragter Sondererlaubnis rein. Ansonsten nur die, die dort wohnten.

[@StanLehmann]

Terrible... Fucking wall😖😖😖