Derailing an Icon of West Berlin Zoo Station Is Soon to Lose Some of Its Slightly Gritty Shine1
Derailing an Icon of West Berlin Zoo Station is soon to lose some of its slightly gritty shine1 Zoo Station is soon to lose some of its slightly gritty shine German Rail has announced that starting next May, long-distance trains will no longer stop at Berlin's Zoo Station, once West Berlin's primary train terminal. It marks the end of an era for many Berliners. It is not a large, nor particularly elegant place, nothing on the scale of New York's Grand Central or Paris' Gare du Nord. There are only four railway platforms, one sit-down restaurant that has seen better days, a few fast-food counters and shops, and a permanent presence of homeless people, beggars, and prostitutes mixed in with the travelers and tourists. Despite its lack of glamour, Zoo Station (officially Bahnhof Zoologischer Garten, or shorter, Bahnhof Zoo) has a treasured place in the hearts of many Berliners and the decision to take away its status next year as a primary stop for long-distance trains arriving in the German capital has many mourning what they see as the final dénouement of a legend that played a central role in the divided city. 1 Kyle James, " Derailing an Icon of West Berlin", 14.07. 2005, DW-WORLD.DE http://www.dw- world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1648119,00.html With the Berlin Wall's construction, Berlin's traditional center, the neighborhood of Mitte, was cut off from the west. A new center developed, with its focus around Zoo Station and the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.
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