It was and is still unique today: The Avus in Berlin. To mark the 100th birthday of the former racetrack, a documentary tells of its eventful history.
Berlin – It is located on the outskirts of Berlin and is still a legend today: The Avus is a former race track in the German capital.
When it opened in 1921, it was the first road in the world that only cars were allowed to drive. Unique and dangerous, its gigantic banked curve soon sparked protests. For many Berliners it was still a symbol of freedom. This September the route will be 100 years old. Arte uses this as an opportunity for the documentary “Avus – Racetrack and Legend” on Thursday at 8:15 pm.
The name Avus means “automobile traffic and practice road”. At the opening there was a car race between Berlin and Wannsee, after which the route was opened to private traffic on weekdays. The almost straight race track connected the north curve in Charlottenburg with the south curve on Nikolassee to form a 19-kilometer circuit with four dangerous bends. The high-speed line that was supposed to drive the development of the automobile in Germany was fast, but also controversial.
In 1926 the first “Grand Prix of Germany” took place. Four people died as a result of accidents due to adverse weather conditions and poor road conditions (up to ten centimeters high bumps). A year later, this race switched to the newly opened Nürburgring in the Eifel for the first time.
The industrialist Hugo Stinnes financially supported the construction of the Avus, his daughter Clärenore was the first woman to circumnavigate the world in an automobile and was celebrated on the Avus when she returned in 1929. In 1937 the Nazis had the north curve expanded into a monumental steep curve with a diameter of 184 meters and an elevation of over 43 degrees – it was supposed to make the racetrack a prestige object, also for the streamlined racing cars called “Silver Arrows”. The connection to the Berliner Ring was completed in 1940, and private transport increased more and more after the war – as did legends.
The author Elias von Salomon (31, “racing legends”) lets contemporary witnesses like the former Formula 1 racing drivers Hans-Joachim Stuck (70) and Hans Herrmann (93) as well as the motorsport journalist Ulf Schulz (43) have their say. They tell both reverently and wistfully how much this street has shaped and shaped the history of Berlin and the fascination for motorsport. Fans who used to be there as spectators describe spectacular accidents such as that of the French Jean Behra (1959), which was fatal.
However, racing was not finally stopped until April 26, 1998. Two historians report on the culture of the automobile and the growing acceptance and enthusiasm of Berliners, but also of residents’ protests against the construction, which cut a considerable swath through the Grunewald as a local recreation area Has. The topic of noise and environmental protection was not yet a topic at the time.
A speed limit of 100 km / h has been in effect on the Avus since May 1989, despite massive protests from the population in some cases. The restored grandstand with a new roof and glazed middle section was finished in time for the anniversary. The enthusiasm for this special symbol of freedom and speed may not be apparent to everyone – after all, it is and remains a street, albeit an unusual one. dpa
