Ost-West-Achse Landing Strip

The Straße des 17. Juni, which was originally called Charlottenburger Chaussee, dates back to 1799 and became a major road between the centre of Berlin and the affluent western suburbs in the 19th century. The first horse omnibuses and tramways of Berlin passed along this street. In the Nazi era, the street was used for massive military parades like the pompous Hitler’s birthday parade for his 50th birthday on 20 April 1939. The Charlottenburger Chaussee played an important role in the concept of the Ost-West-Achse (East-West Axis), an important street axis in Hitler’s plan to rebuild Berlin into a Nazi model city called ‘Germania’.

During the Battle of Berlin, the street was used as a landing strip for planes, which delivered some important Nazi and Wehrmacht officials to the Führerbunker, such as Albert Speer, Hitler’s architect and minister of armaments and war production, or Robert Ritter von Greim, who was to be the last commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe. It was also used by transport planes to evacuate wounded soldiers and civilians out of the city. However, due to damages and constant Soviet artillery fire, this only occurred several times. Around the street, in the Tiergarten Park, the main units of the German defence artillery were stationed, which gave their last support to the encircled Berlin garrison. In the last days of war, the street marked a border between the Soviet 3rd Shock and the 8th Guards Armies, which advanced both from the north and south towards the city centre.

A year later, the Soviet monument Berlin-Tiergarten was erected here. After the East German uprising of 17 June 1953, the street, which at the time was located in West Berlin, was renamed to Straße des 17. Juni. After the German reunification, the street has been used for mega events like fan miles, love parades or other processions.