Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall were inexorably linked throughout the Cold War. So, it is only fitting that a museum dedicated to these two iconic symbols of that time period should exist next to where they intersected. Created to document what the East German authorities declared to be the “...best border security system in the world,” the Checkpoint Charlie museum (named after the famous border crossing) opened on June 14, 1963. Its stated mission was to focus on escape attempts from East Germany, along with the various pieces of equipment used to facilitate those attempts. The “August 13th Working Group” (named after the date the Wall was constructed) put together the first exhibits for the museum. In the beginning, their efforts were not very well organized, partly because a lot of the associations activities at the time were devoted to planning and assisting escape attempts.
After the Wall fell, the museum became a private enterprise, focusing on being a “...place of experience.” As a result, it became the most commercially successful museum in Europe. Today, the Checkpoint Charlie Museum is one of the most frequently visited (with over 850,000 attendees) attraction in Berlin.
Thinking we were quite knowledgeable about this period, because of growing up as these events were unfolding, the information presented here greatly improved our knowledge base.
After the Wall fell, the museum became a private enterprise, focusing on being a “...place of experience.” As a result, it became the most commercially successful museum in Europe. Today, the Checkpoint Charlie Museum is one of the most frequently visited (with over 850,000 attendees) attraction in Berlin.
Thinking we were quite knowledgeable about this period, because of growing up as these events were unfolding, the information presented here greatly improved our knowledge base.
With the famous border crossing in the foreground, the Checkpoint Charlie Museum sees close to a million visitors per year.
Following German Reunification, the original Checkpoint Charlie building was moved to the Allied Museum in Berlin.
The current building is located on the original border crossing spot, opposite the museum.
Some of the exhibits depict the ways East Germans tried to escape to the West.
Any space that would accommodate a body, would work...
...even a suitcase.
Some enterprising individuals even tried the aeronautical approach...
...including a number of hot air balloon attempts...
...which were documented in news articles...
Other exhibits depict the history of the Third Reich in Berlin.
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