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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.
Learn about the former border crossing between East and West Berlin, the Cold War and the escape attempts at Checkpoint Charlie. See the original booth, the soldier statue, the wall memorial and the exhibition at Friedrichstraße 43-45.
- 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, 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
Learn about the history and stories of Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous border crossing between East and West Berlin. Visit the museum, see the original hot-air balloon used for an escape, and support the preservation of history.
Checkpoint Charlie was the best-known border crossing between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Learn about the historical events, the Wall Museum, the Panorama Berlin and more at this site.
Jun 22, 2020 · Learn about the origins, events and significance of Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous crossing-point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. Discover how it became a symbol of division, defiance and freedom, and how it was dismantled in 1990.
