Checkpoint Charlie is the famous border crossing between East and West Berlin, where American and Russian forces stood against each other after the creation of the Berlin wall on August 13, 1961.
After this event, Checkpoint Charlie became the only point at which tourists, western military and foreign diplomats could cross into the communist state.
The name "Checkpoint Charlie" came from the phonetic alphabet. There were two other American checkpoints - Helmstadt (Checkpoint Alpha) and Dreilinden (Checkpoint Bravo). Following this scheme, the third checkpoint on Friedrichstrasse was named "Checkpoint Charlie".
The checkpoint was removed on the 22nd of June, 1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The original guard towers at Checkpoint Charlie have been placed in the Allied Museum in Zehlendorf. However, replicas have been constructed and today tourists can be seen at all hours of the day taking their picture beside this historic landmark.
Next to the checkpoint, is the famous "Cafe Adler" where during the cold war, many people in West Berlin would sit to have a good view into East Germany. The Berlin Wall that existed near this checkpoint was completely removed, however in 2004 a 140 meter long section of the wall was put back where it once stood. In addition to this wall, it is also possible to see where the wall ran by looking for a brick line laid into Freidrichstrasse.
The easiest way to reach Checkpoint Charlie is to take the U6 to Freidrichstrasse. It may also be of interest to many people to visit the Berlin Wall Museum situated opposite this famous Berlin attraction.
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