Checkpoint Charlie

Why go

Berlin's official website (berlin.de) describes Checkpoint Charlie as a border crossing between East and West Berlin during the Cold War, a military checkpoint controlled by the Americans through which only foreigners, staff of the Federal Republic's Permanent Mission in the GDR and GDR officials could cross. It says American and Soviet tanks took up positions facing each other here in the last days of October 1961. Both berlin.de and visitBerlin say the booth on the site today is a replica: visitBerlin says the original booth was removed on 22 June 1990 and is displayed in the Allied Museum in Berlin-Zehlendorf, and berlin.de says the sandbags have long been filled with concrete. visitBerlin also points to an open-air exhibition on the corner of Schützenstraße and Zimmerstraße about escape attempts. This record is the site of the former crossing; the Wall Museum (Mauermuseum – Haus am Checkpoint Charlie) nearby is a separate museum and not this record.