Ostbahnhof is possibly the most normal of Berlin’s train stations in the sense that it isn’t new, but it isn’t all that old either, it’s a bit large and empty, but there are always people moving about, it isn’t bright, but it isn’t dark, there is a discrete amount of train traffic, it is clean and dignified without being the most beautiful in the world. There are cafés, restaurants, and fast food chains that aren’t too smelly. What’s interesting is that this being a little bit out of fashion, these first crows’ feet, this little bit of belly, in reality, are quite becoming. It is a station that is no longer under the floodlights of history, but it certainly has had its share of that history to talk about. First of all, it has been called in all the possible and imaginable ways you can think of. In 1841 it was built and called the Frankfurter Bahnhof, but in 1844 that was changed to Niederschlesisch-Märkischer Bahnhof, in 1881 went back to being Frankfurter Bahnhof up until 1951, when it took its current name of Ostbahnhof. For the 750th anniversary of the founding of Berlin it became the solemn Hauptbahnhof and witnessed official arrivals and departures before once again becoming Ostbahnhof in 1998.
Translated by Alexander Booth
