Rise and Fall
The wear and tear from World War I, along with the burden of reparations, necessitated extensive modernization efforts. Between 1924 and 1943, the Deutsche Reichsbahn electrified nearly the entire rail network (295 km) for urban, city-ring, and suburban transit, officially named the S-Bahn (Stadtbahn) in 1930. Fast-accelerating electric trains, modernized and newly constructed stations, along with distinctive power supply buildings, became hallmarks of the "Elektropolis Berlin."
The Nazi dictatorship continued the Weimar Republic’s plans with the construction of the North-South S-Bahn. New trains and their use during the 1936 Olympic Games were exploited for propaganda purposes. At the same time, political purges, racism, and war preparations intensified across Germany. The Second World War, initiated by Germany, brought devastation and death on an unimaginable scale. By May 1945, the S-Bahn was in ruins.
Photo: SSW / S-Bahn Museum Archive