In the Western part of Berlin the German Luftwaffe museum can be found on the former RAF Airbase at Gatow.
The museum, originating from a private initiative in 1957, was before the German unification located north of Hamburg at Uetersen. After the reunification in 1990 it was decided to move the collection to the newly appointed capital Berlin at the historical site of the British base. The airbase was handed over by the British in 1994 and in 1995 the start of moving the extensive collection began.
The airbase of Berlin-Gatow was built in 1934 and served as a large trainingcomplex for the Luftwaffe, hosting the Luftkriegsschule II, the Luftkriegsakademie and the Lufttechnische Akademie für die Luftwaffe. The base was used right up until the end of World War II by the German Nazis and was conquered by the Russians on April 26th 1945 and handed over to the British forces on July 2nd.
RAF Station Gatow became the airbase in the British sector in Berlin and served during the Cold War as a centre for Western intelligence. Actually the airbases' next-door neighbour was an East German border unit keeping a prying eye to the activities.
During many years the RAF used their Havilland Chipmunk T.10 aircraft for aerial surveillance and photographic missions over the Berlin Controlled Zone. The British intelligence agency BRIXMIS was very active with its secret missions, collecting data on movements and material of the Russian and East-German forces.
Today the museum houses a large collection of aircraft, mainly from the Sixties up till the current period. Many different types of the former East German airforce are presented in the collection.
F-104F of WS10 at Jever in excellent condition
Close-up of Su-20 98+61 of ES61
A number of the former hangars are used to show the collection of the German Forces , but also a larger part is housed outside. Unfortunately the weather has caused many aircraft to be in a bad shape and in desperate need for a new paint job.
MiG-17PF 615
Il-28 Beagle 208
Fiat G-91R 32+72
UH-1D of the Bundesgrenzschutz
N2501 Noratlas 99+14
The museum is free of entrance and open from Tuesday till Sunday, for more information check on www.luftwaffenmuseum.de