Checkpoint Charlie

During the Cold War, Berlin was in the middle of the international conflict. The town was divided by the Berlin Wall into West and East Berlin. The eastern part was administered by the Russian communists while the western part was under supervision of the Allied Forces. In 1961, the communists built the Berlin Wall to keep the citizens of East Berlin from escaping to the west.

During these times, Checkpoint Charlie was the only gateway for anyone who had to travel from one part of Berlin to the other part. Of course, this was not possible for anyone. Only diplomats and other authorities were able to cross the border. This was a real dilemma for the Berlin people. Many could not visit their loved ones simply because they lived in another part of the town as the Berlin Wall could not be crossed. About 100 people tried to cross the wall and escape to the west, but all of them have been killed by border guards.

To get an image of these times for Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie not only consists of a reconstructed US army guardhouse, it also hosts the Berlin Wall Museum. Here you can see film of reckless escapes from East Berlin as well as stories of horrible deliquency in Berlin during Cold War times among other things related to Checkpoint Charlie.