Wer die Bedeutung Berlins als Motor der industriellen Revolution, als moderne Metropole seit Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts und zugleich die Absurditäten der Teilung Deutschlands begreifen will, kann dies alles anhand der Geschichte der Berliner S-Bahn tun. Diese Mehrfachbedeutung eines Alltagsmediums ist einzigartig – für Deutschland, für die Welt.
The Berlin S-Bahn is "the mother of all S-Bahn systems" in Germany and in many cities abroad. The modern electric powered vehicles, the signal technolo-gy and the operation have proven their reliabiltity for decades. The trademark – the “S” - was invented in Berlin in 1930. Today it is used all over Germany and also in other countries.
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In the 19th and the early 20th century, Berlin was the largest industrial city in Europe. The monuments of this era are numerous. The S-Bahn was both the result and the prerequisite for the growth of the metropolis. It was a product of the local railway- and elec-trical industry. And without them, the city and region would not function to-day.
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The Berlin S-Bahn has been a political pawn for decades; it reflects the ups and downs of 20th-century German history. There is nothing comparable anywhere else.
The Nazi dictatorship abused the S-Bahn at the 1936 Olympics to present its advantages and from 1939 to keep the armaments industry running. IDuring the last days of WWII the S-Bahn became the front line .
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