The Berlin Airlift was one of the most important events for the divided city of Berlin as the blockade and the political situation that came after really threatened the citizens of West Berlin, who had recently suffered the Allied bombings in World War II. The decision to put up the Air lift beyond being a political issue, (showing western power and implement their ideas of post war reconstruction opposed to the Comunism), was a humanitarian decision, an it’s importance in history is mostly because of this. American soldiers did’nt feel all the same about helping their former enemies, but once they realize the misery of the people in Berlin they started perceiving them as victims; and so Berliners who no longer considered Allies as a force of invasion but as friends. Since most of the aircrafts of the Berlin Airlift took off from Tempelhof airport, this place is still and will always be connected to this event, and widely considered a symbol of friendship. After the reunification of Germany, Tempelhof was handed over to the German administration and in 2008 closed all operations. In 2010 the whole outdoor space of the airport was opened as a public park wich is very popular and loved by the Berliners. On a recent referendum, 65 per cent of the city rejected a plan for a large scale property development of the area and voted to preserve it as a public space. To a vague wanderer could still happen to spot some planes in the sky of Tempelhof, in fact there is a small community of radio controlled aircrafts pilots who occasionally gather in Tempelhofer Feld, the only ones for whom this place seems to be still an airport.
