Checkpoint Charley

After lunch we headed to Checkpoint Charley. Checkpoint Charley was an allied (USA, Britain, and France) checkpoint for entrance into and out of East Germany (controlled by the USSR). Though it was completely destroyed when the wall came down, they have reconstructed it and built a museum where it used to be. It was a good place to visit to begin to understand some of the history of the wall. Many people were smuggled across this checkpoint with the help of army personnel, citizens, and diplomats. Google Checkpoint Charley to read much more about this important history landmark. You can see two views of Checkpoint Charley below:

Also, you can see where the Berlin Wall used to be here by Checkpoint Charley (indicated by the brick pavers and the plaque).

Finally, you can see me posing by a segment of the wall near the museum at Checkpoint Charley. The wall wasn’t that tall, but the armed guards that would shoot on sight was a major deterrent to anyone trying to sneak across.