During the Cold War, Checkpoint Charlie was one of three gates through the Berlin Wall located in the city centre of Berlin, Germany.
When the wall was erected in 1961, the Americans created this gate. It was named Charlie, following the NATO phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie ...). Checkpoints Alpha and Bravo were on two highways joining West and East Germany through Berlin. The main function of the checkpoints were to allow members of the Western Military Forces and foreign tourists a way into East Berlin. East German citizens were of course not allowed to pass into the West. During the Cold War, Checkpoint Charlie became a symbol of separation, and (for the East Germans) - freedom. The checkpoint was dismantled after the fall of the wall in late 1989, the East German watch tower at Checkpoint Charlie was demolished,and nothing remains of the original site. Modern office buildings have been erected in recent years. The path of the wall is now marked on the street in many places with a line of bricks; a copy of the booth and sign that once marked the border have also been put in place.Near the location of the booth is the House of Checkpoint Charlie Museum. |