Checkpoint Charlie Museum
A main tourist attraction in Berlin is Checkpoint Charlie. The western allies gave Checkpoint Charlie its name using the NATO phonetic alphabet C during the Cold War.
After WWII Berlin was split into two sections East and West. The Eastern portion was communist run by the Soviet Union and the west Capitalists, controlled by Great Britain, America and France. Within a few years it was obvious that both countries became quite different. More and more people evacuated to the west, having far greater opportunities and a much better economy.
During the Cold War in 1952 the German border was officially closed. Checkpoint Charlie separating West and East Berlin became well known for having a better chance at escaping Eastern Germany. This border was more accessible than the others and became a “loophole” for the east side.
This was a problem for eastern Berlin because many of those migrating to the west were young professionals. This left the country with what was called the brain drain.
August 13th 1961the eastern side closed access by erecting a temporary barb wire fence . Two days later a concrete wall was built by the German Democratic Republic to keep their residents confined behind the wall. This was finely brought down November 9th,1989.
Learn history from the open-air exhibit. This gallery wall opened in 2006 displaying escape attempts and successes on the western gallery wall. The eastern gallery wall displays articles about the October 1961 close encounter between the Americans and the Soviet Union resulting in a stand-off. Ten army tanks each side of the border were ready to fire at each other. As well as giving those visiting an overview of important memorial sites on the adjacent gallery wall.
The Black Box exhibit is a 200 square metre information pavilion displaying large format photo and multi-media stations. They tell stories about the Cold War and the evident impact the Berlin Wall had on Germany’s history and the international importance of the division of both Germany and Europe. The external black represents -the Black Box recording events for descendants, the red on the column represents the Soviet Union and the blue colour on the window represents the United States.
The Mauermuseum -Haus am at Charlie Checkpoint is situated metres from where the guard house once stood. This unique museum opened October 1962 as a small two room building designed for showcasing information about the newly constructed Berlin Wall. After being extended greatly over time it now displays several accounts of Germany’s division and the history of the Wall of Berlin. It has the best documentation attainable describing escape attempts and successes. There’s a wide variety of original tools displayed with descriptions of methods used by those who desperately tried to break free from East Germany’s repression.
Tourists may have their photos taken at no cost with actors dressed as military border patrol policemen standing in front of the guard house -one US and one Soviet.
There’s a replica of the Checkpoint Charlie booth and sign that read like a dire warning to those wanting to leave east Berlin. They are situated at the original border check booth spot.
There are lots of gift shops, shopping, food vendors and sit down restaurants.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: YesCheckpoint Charlie Museum Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Thursday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Friday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Address: Friedrichstraße 43-45, 10969 Berlin, Germany
Phone: 030 2537250
Official Website: Checkpoint Charlie Museum
Checkpoint Charlie Museum Reviews
Rated out of 5
Really interesting for the history but otherwise badly displayed and needs refreshing. The sequence didn’t make a lot of sense, I still have a lot of questions about the division of Berlin. The languages format isn’t great. It is a shame because there are some really cool original items on display. It was €18.50 for the tour which is a lot, especially compared to other museums in Berlin!
Л. В. - 3 months ago
Loads of everything. This museum is overflowing with original items and fascinating information pieces. I would say this museum has some of the largest collections of original pieces of any of the Cold War themed museums in Berlin that I went to. Loads of items focusing on the Cold War. A lot of it focuses on the smuggling of people from the east to west of Berlin. There are also pieces up until modern times with areas on Ukraine and modern Russian conflicts.
Nice museum with one of the best gift shops on my Berlin visit.
R. Green - 2 months ago
Checkpoint Charlie is a piece of history and worth a visit. Long line of visitors waiting to have their photo taken outside the replica checkpoint makes it feel over touristy.
Worth taking time to walk round the square and read the history but didn’t go to the museum having read other reviews.
There is a remaining piece of the wall in the corner by the museum but it’s rather sad and tatty.
Large shop full of tourist souvenirs but didn’t go inside as again aimed purely at tourists.
linda - 3 months ago
A bit disappointing. It’s badly organised, with huge tracts of text with barely any exhibits, no sense of a narrative you can follow. Very overwhelming and the equivalent of handing a visitor a thick book and saying, read this before you enter. There’s an interesting history here, but it’s not clearly or interestingly presented. The last museum I went to was the Memphis civil rights museum which is amazing. The museum curators should check it out for some inspiration of what makes an engaging museum. The price 75 euros for a family is expensive. On this note, Museums should provide free water to guests like they do in Australia and the USA. Upstairs, an interesting idea starts to emerge showcasing different nations of people who rise up against dictatorships. However it’s ironic that in a museum about oppressive regimes, they’ve left Palestine off their world map. (Someone has corrected the error with graffiti.) We learn in this museum that one reason genocide happens is when ordinary people are silent as horrors occur. Germany has as much, if not more, responsibility as any country to acknowledge the occupation and ethnic cleansing of Palestine, and include the nation on the map. Overall, the artefacts that they do have are interesting but they need to be better presented: the museum is a diamond in the rough that needs a robust cut and polish.
Poppy Gee - a week ago
One of the most incredible museums I've ever had the opportunity to visit. I spent over 5 hours there, and history permeated the entire exhibition. Unmissable.
Sérgio Pontes - 2 months ago
Directions
How to get to Checkpoint Charlie Museum by U-Bahn, S-Bahn
Nearest U-Bahn, S-Bahn Line(s): U6,S1, S2, S25, U2
Nearest U-Bahn, S-Bahn Station(s): Kochstraße/Checkpoint Charlie, Potsdamer Platz
Checkpoint Charlie is just north of Kochstraße Station on Friedrichstraße.
From Potsdamer Platz Station: go east on Potsdamer Platz, right onto Mauerstraße followed by a slight right onto Friedrichstraße.
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Photo Gallery
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Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: xiquinhosilva - cc license via Flickr
