HAMBURGER BANHOF, Hamburger Banhof

Hi, my name’s Jill, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the Wonders of the World: the Hamburger Bahnhof.

The Hamburger Bahnhof is the most prestigious showcase for contemporary art in Berlin.

The building facing you, now a museum, began life as a railway station. Built in the mid-19th century on a design by the architects Friedrich Neuhaus and Ferdinand Wilhelm Holz, it performed its original function for just 40 years, before it was replaced at the end of the century by the nearby Hauptbahnhof and turned into a museum dedicated to Transport and Construction. In order to fulfil its new function more effectively, the building was extended with the addition of the side wings.

The building suffered extensive damage during the Second World War, and slipped into oblivion during the Cold War since the abandoned station was located in West Berlin, while the railway line ran through East Berlin....