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Checkpoint Charlie (or "Checkpoint C") was the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War (1947–1991), as named by the Western Allies.
Checkpoint Charlie, the best known official crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War. It is located on the corner of Friedrichstrasse and Zimmerstrasse and was the designated crossing point for foreign tourists and dignitaries and for members of the Allied armed forces.
- Adrian Gilbert
- Only foreigners were allowed to cross through it. Checkpoint Charlie was first set up in August 1961, when communist East Germany erected the Berlin Wall to prevent its citizens from fleeing to the democratic West.
- It sat just a few feet away from a much larger East German checkpoint. Despite remaining in operation for nearly three decades, the Allied side of Checkpoint Charlie consisted of only a tiny prefabricated shack and a few sandbags.
- It was the site of several daring escapes by East Germans. Since Checkpoint Charlie was one of the few gaps in the maze of barriers, barbed wire and guard towers that made up the Berlin Wall, it attracted many desperate East Germans looking to flee to the West.
- It was the scene of an infamous showdown between the United States and the Soviet Union. One of the most nail-biting chapters of the Cold War began on October 22, 1961, when U.S. diplomat Allan Lightner attempted to cross Checkpoint Charlie to attend the opera in East Berlin.
Checkpoint Charlie was the setting for many thrillers and spy novels, from James Bond in Octopussy to The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. Located on the corner of Friedrichstraße and Zimmerstraße, it is a reminder of the former border crossing, the Cold War and the partition of Berlin.
5 days ago · Established in October 1961, Checkpoint Charlie was the main gateway for Allied personnel, other non-Germans, and foreign tourists to pass between the two Berlins. (East and West Berliners were prohibited from using the checkpoint and had to seek special permits to cross.)
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Jun 22, 2020 · 20th Century. A brief history of Checkpoint Charlie. Thirty years ago this month, Checkpoint Charlie – the most famous crossing-point between East and West Berlin – was dismantled. Patrick Major shares a guide to the Berlin Wall spot that became a global symbol of Cold War division. Published: June 22, 2020 at 8:10 AM.
Jul 14, 2021 · About Checkpoint Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie was an important crossing point in the Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Today, both the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie remain some of the most prominent symbols of the Cold War.
