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The first U-Bahn line opened in 1902 between Warschauer Brücke (now
Warschauer Straße) and Knie (now Ernst-Reuter-Platz), with a branch to
Potsdamer Platz. This first line was mainly elevated. In the following years
the network grew steadily towards the west (today's U2 west) and branches
were built to the south (today's U1 south, U3 and U4). The original line was
also extended into the city centre from Potsdamer Platz as far as
Spittelmarkt (U2). At the beginning of World War I in 1914, Berlin's U-Bahn
network already had a total length of 37.8 km. The older lines belong to the
small profile network (2.3m wide cars, 8-car-trains).
- In 1923 the first section of a new north-south line opened (former Line
C, now U6) between Seestraße and Hallesches Tor right through the city along
Friedrichstraße. This was the first of the large profile lines (2.6m wide
cars). From then on Berlin's U-Bahn grew again very fast until 1930 began.
By then U1, U2, U3, and U4 existed as we know them today (then operated as
Line A and B), U5 from Alexanderplatz to Friedrichsfelde (Line E), U6
Seestr.-Tempelhof, U7 (as a branch of U6) from Mehringdamm to Grenzallee, U8
Gesundbrunnen-Leinestraße (Line D).
- After the war, the U-Bahn and S-Bahn kept running from one side of
Berlin to the other until the Wall was built in 1961. Today's U2 was split
into two lines, U1 was cut off at Schlesisches Tor and U6 and U8 began
travelling through East Berlin skipping all stations on GDR territory (ghost
stations). An exception was Friedrichstraße (U6) which was a border crossing
for pedestrians and a transfer point to the S-Bahn.
- While Berlin was a divided city, on the eastern side only U5 was
extended, mainly on the surface, towards the east to new residential areas
(1973 Tierpark, 1989 Hönow). In the west a new line was added, a north-south
link avoiding the historic centre: U9 (opened between 1961 and 1976). U7
turned out to be an important link between the southeast and the west. It
reached its southern terminus at Rudow in 1972 and Rathaus Spandau in the
west in 1984.
- After the Berlin Wall was torn down in Nov. 1989, all ghost stations
were reopened as soon as possible, U2 was restored though partly rebuilt and
reopened in 1993, and two years later, in 1995, also U1 returned to its
original terminus at Warschauer Straße, across the traditional Oberbaum-Bridge.
- In the meantime U8 was extended towards the north to Wittenau (1994)
and south to Hermannstraße (S-Bahn-Ring, 1996). In October 1998, a new
station, Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park, was added to line U2 between
Gleisdreieck and Potsdamer Platz to improve access to the new Potsdamer
Platz area. After some years of construction a short extension from
Vinetastraße to Pankow was eventually opened on 16 Sept. 2000. The new
terminus station is situated right under the S-Bahn station.
- After 9 years of existence, line U15 disappeared from the map, instead
the number U3 was reintroduced on 12 Dec 2004, now serving the
Nollendorfplatz - Krumme Lanke stretch.
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