http://www.bbc.co.uk/ Despite the cold, wet weather, up to 500 protesters gathered outside Tempelhof to vent their anger at the closure of the airport.
It was a last show of strength by campaigners who had fought a series of legal battles over the past decade to save Tempelhof.
Holding candles, they didn't seem too bothered by the cold or the police.
One man screamed, "If the Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, has guts, then tell him to come out here."
The protesters say they won't give up.
"We still have a couple of legal challenges pending," said Rainer Classe, a campaigner. "We're also trying to get Tempelhof listed as a Unesco World Heritage site - the airport would finally get the recognition that it deserves."
Inside the massive terminal, the authorities had thrown a big party as a send-off for Tempelhof. The local TV channel RBB set up a large stage and the whole event was broadcast live.
But as hundreds of local VIPs, the mayor of Berlin and officials popped open the champagne bottles, it seemed odd that they were celebrating the closure of the airport.
All day long, curious Berliners came to Tempelhof to catch a glimpse of the airport. Many brought their cameras and they took pictures of the vast, echoing hall and the imposing architecture.
A few businessmen rushed to catch the last flights. For many people, Tempelhof was always the ideal inner-city airport - it used to serve short-haul commercial flights.
One passenger, Joerg said: "It's a really sad day. Tempelhof is special, there's so much history here. It's a mistake to shut it down.
"It's not like other modern airports, there's no stress here, it's lovely and relaxing. I love the nostalgic atmosphere here."
Pilots and crew members were also feeling sad and nostalgic.
One stewardess said: "I just can't believe it, it's such a shame that they're shutting the Tempelhof. It's part of German history and the authorities are closing it, why on earth are they doing this?", she asked.
"We used to fly out of Tempelhof, it's a great airport. Everything is accessible. The ways are short from the check-in desks to the gates and from the gates to the planes," said Alexander Rodger, the ground operations manager at the airline Germania.
"It's an awful decision to close Tempelhof. They didn't encourage airlines to use the airport and it's hardly surprising that it was running up losses."
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