Gatow and the women of the Berlin Airlift

The portrayal of women during the Berlin Airlift was heavily influenced by prevailing societal norms and patriarchal structures. Women were often depicted in traditional domestic roles and portrayed as victims or supporters, while the main actors were male. These representations were amplified through media, photographs, films, and literature, serving propaganda purposes as well as to maintain gender roles and patriarchal structures. The Berlin Airlift is perceived in both contemporary and modern context as predominantly male-dominated. It is only in recent years that the role of women during the airlift has been recognised in historical research. However, the patriarchal heroconcept is even reflected in the photographic representation of the airlift. The images of glowing pilots or coal-dusted, sweating workers have been so influential that they have shaped the narrative of the airlift’s heroes for generations.

While largely unnoticed by the public, the reality for thousands of women was vastly different. The rapid construction of Tegel Airport would not have been possible without the 15,000 women involved. Similarly, women played a significant role at RAF Gatow. German and British women, just like their male colleagues, worked twelve-hour labour shifts in work crews. Of the 1,544 auxiliary workers deployed at Gatow in January 1949, 187 were women. Women were also prominent within the RAF, where the Women’s Royal Air Force played a pivotal role from the beginning to the end of the airlift, taking on important responsibilities in organizing daily flight operations. Despite this, familiar patterns still dominated the photographs.