On the streets of Berlin: BMW BERLIN-MARATHON between history and asphalt
Straße des 17. Juni
The “Straße des 17. Juni” is located in the center of Berlin, running from the Brandenburg Gate through the Tiergarten to Ernst-Reuter-Platz. It commemorates the uprising in the GDR on June 17, 1953. On that day, hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in East Berlin against the political and economic conditions of the SED regime. The uprising was brutally suppressed by Soviet troops, with many people arrested or killed. The renaming of Charlottenburger Chaussee to Straße des 17. Juni took place in July 1953 as a sign of solidarity with the East German uprising.
For the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, the Straße des 17. Juni is particularly significant. Both the start and finish of the course are located here in the historic heart of Berlin, so runners begin and end their sporting challenge on a piece of living history.
Paul-Löbe-Allee
The Paul-Löbe-Allee and the Paul-Löbe-Haus are named after Paul Löbe (1875–1967), the last democratic President of the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic. The avenue honors a man who stood for parliamentary responsibility, tolerance, and democracy. The Social Democrat survived, despite multiple arrests, persecution, and months in the Groß-Rosen concentration camp, the Nazi era. After World War II, he worked in West Berlin in 1945 for the rebuilding of democratic institutions and became a member of the first German Bundestag in 1949. The Paul-Löbe-Allee runs through Berlin’s government district along Platz der Republik to the Reichstag building. The Paul-Löbe-Haus, a parliamentary building of the German Bundestag with several committees and offices of MPs, is also located here.
For the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, the Paul-Löbe-Allee is part of the start and finish area. Runners pass this historic avenue on their way to the Brandenburg Gate, where athletic performance and political history meet directly.
Ebertstraße
The Ebertstraße is named after Friedrich Ebert (1871–1925), an important SPD politician and the first President of the Weimar Republic. Friedrich Ebert is a key figure in German history after the First World War. As chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), he took over leadership of the young republic in 1918 after the end of the German Empire and played a major role during a time of significant political and social change. He worked for democracy, social stability, and parliamentary order and tried to guide Germany into a democratic future.
In the start and finish area of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, directly at the Brandenburg Gate, the Ebertstraße becomes every year a stage for sporting excellence and international encounters. Thousands of runners from all over the world start and finish here – at a place that stands like almost no other for Germany’s democratic rebirth and the overcoming of division. During the period of German division, a section of the Berlin Wall ran here, separating East and West Berlin. Today, the Ebertstraße symbolizes a politician who, in a time of political tensions and crises, strongly stood for freedom and democracy as well as for German reunification through overcoming the division of East and West Berlin. From Potsdamer Platz to Scheidemannstraße, directly at the Brandenburg Gate and along the Tiergarten, the Ebertstraße extends.
Annemarie-Renger-Straße
With the Annemarie-Renger-Straße, Berlin honors a woman who made political history. Annemarie Renger (1919–2008) was an important SPD politician and one of the most influential women in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. As the first female President of the German Bundestag from 1972 to 1976, she led parliament and set an example for new beginnings, gender equality, and the strength of democracy in the young republic. After her term as Bundestag President, she remained Vice President of the German Bundestag from 1976 to 1990. She later said about her success: “I achieved what I wanted. It has been proven that a woman can do it.” In honor of Annemarie Renger, the street was named in 2020 on the occasion of her 101st birthday. The Annemarie-Renger-Straße connects Otto-von-Bismarck-Allee and Paul-Löbe-Allee and lies directly between the Paul-Löbe-Haus and the Federal Chancellery. It is therefore located directly next to the start and finish area of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. The street commemorates a woman who opened the doors to political equality with courage, determination, responsibility, and passion.
Scheidemannstraße
The Scheidemannstraße is named after the German politician Philipp Scheidemann (1865–1939). He was a member of the SPD and proclaimed the first German republic on November 9, 1918, from a balcony of the Reichstag (“Long live the German Republic!”). He is therefore considered one of the most important representatives of early German democracy. Scheidemann served as Chancellor during the Weimar Republic and fought for the establishment of a democratic government. The Scheidemannstraße runs directly south of the Reichstag building and along Platz der Republik. It is located in the heart of Berlin’s government district and also lies directly next to the start and finish area of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.
Conclusion of the start-finish area of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
The start and finish area of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is more than just a running course. Here, athletic performance meets Berlin history, political milestones, and the legacy of influential personalities. From the Straße des 17. Juni to the Paul-Löbe-Allee to the John-Foster-Dulles-Allee, each street tells its own story of courage, freedom, and democracy. For runners, every step means not only challenge and endurance, but also a direct connection to a unique experience in which sport and history merge in an impressive way.
