Count Zeppelin, he of airship fame, helped to lay the foundations of Tegel's association with flying machines when he landed in the city in 1909. It was, however, another German aviation pioneer who gave his name to the airport, Otto Lilienthal.
The full title is displayed on the terminal complex facade but Herr Lilienthal could have little idea of how it would progress.
The 1930's saw the site used for rocket research, the forereunner of today's space programs, but it was the aftermath of the Second World War that helped launch Tegel's commercial future.
The infamous blockade of Berlin by the Soviet army persuaded the Allies to build Europe's longest runway at Tegel to ferry in supplies to the beleaguered city. When the crisis passed the French took over and the occupying forces started to develop its civil potential.
In 1960 Air France introduced flights to Paris and Tegel never looked back. The present unique terminal complex was opened in 1974. It was designed to handle 5.8 million passengers a year, a figure long since overtaken as the airport embraces the 21st century.
