Checkpoint Charlie

History: A checkpoint established in August of 1961, it served as a passage for Allied personnel, diplomats, and foreigners between the divided city of Berlin. It was established by the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, to stop East Berliners fleeing to West Berlin. This was because of the higher quality of life and living conditions in West Berlin at the time. The checkpoint got its name from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet, (first being Alpha, second Bravo, third Charlie, etc.) with it being the third crossing point. Hence, it was named Checkpoint Charlie. Two months after the checkpoint was founded, a crisis erupted when East German guards didn’t allow US diplomats access through Checkpoint Charlie. This caused American tanks to roll into Checkpoint Charlie. The Soviets responded by rolling their own tanks in, and this standoff lasted for 16 hours.

An image of the 1962 tank standoff.

The confrontation ended after negotiation from both sides. Multiple escape attempts from East Berlin also happened at Checkpoint Charlie; the most notable was Peter Fechter’s.

The information board provided at Checkpoint Charlie.

In 1962, he tried to climb the Berlin Wall near Checkpoint Charlie to meet his sister in West Berlin. He was quickly spotted by East German guards, was shot, and bled out in no-man’s-land, as people from both sides of the wall watched. The guards who shot him were convicted of manslaughter, and his death became a symbol of the brutality of the Berlin Wall. After the Berlin Wall fell due to German reunification, Checkpoint Charlie closed on June 22, 1990. Today, it’s a popular tourist destination in Berlin because of its history.

My Visit: First, I went to the nearby information center. This center documented the history of Checkpoint Charlie, such as its construction and multiple escape attempts. At the center, there was also a small ruin of the Berlin Wall. After that, I went to the checkpoint, and took a photo. The site of the original checkpoint was noticeably smaller than expected, as the area around it was turned into a city street. After viewing the checkpoint and taking a photo (shown below),

Me at Checkpoint Charlie

I went to a shop left of the checkpoint. This shop sold many Checkpoint Charlie related items, but also had a lot of Cold War memorabilia. One funny thing I saw at the shop was merchandise with a photo of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German leader Erich Honecker sharing a “socialist fraternal kiss”.

The "Soviet Fraternal Kiss"

Ultimately, I decided to buy a copy of the iconic “Achtung! Sie verlassen jetzt West-Berlin” sign. At Checkpoint Charlie, I didn’t feel that much emotion. The site doesn’t carry the weight of the previous actions committed there like Sachsenhausen, causing me just to feel neutral. Afterwards, I decided to walk to the Topography of Terror. Photo Gallery:

The Museum at Checkpoint Charlie

A photo of the museum at Checkpoint Charlie, closer up.

Me at the remnants of the Berlin Wall at Checkpoint Charlie.