As Bornholmer Straße station lay right at the border of West and East Berlin, a temporary connection was built on 25 December 1952 as a warning.

The eastern parts remained unused at that time, and train transport were extended from Schönhauser Allee to Bornholmer Straße, which was opened on 10 December 1961.

After the German reunification, Bornholmer Straße was reopened on 22 December 1990; the platforms for the former East Berlin site were opened on 5 August 1991.

Though the station was closed the bridge (Bösebrücke) spanning over the tracks was the site of the Bornholmer Straße border crossing between Prenzlauer Berg and the West Berlin borough of Wedding established in 1961.

At 9:20 pm local guards were the first to open a checkpoint and allow people passing through freely to West Berlin, where they were greeted enthusiastically.