Berlin Travel
history of the Berlin Wall
After World War II, Berlin was divided into four sectors: United States, United Kingdom, France and the Soviet Union. The Allied zones were afterwards combined into one zone (West Berlin). Many (higher educated) people living in East Berlin escaped to West Berlin in the fifty's.
The Wall was build by the German Democratic Republic in 1961. It cut off West Berlin from East Berlin and the surrounding East Germany. The Wall had a size of 140km long with towers, armed guards, fences and mines. People who wanted to escape were shot or went to prison if they were catched.
Checkpoint Charlie
There were 9 border crossings between East and West Berlin. The most famous one was in Friedrichstrasse: Checkpoint Charlie. It was the only place where foreigners could pass the border. The original Checkpoint Charlie housing has moved to the museum. The one in 2010 is a smaller copy.
In November 1989 the East German Government decided that all citizens could visit West Germany and West Berlin. In 1990, West- and East Germany were united and Berlin became the capital.
Topographie des Terrors & The Wall
Turning from Checkpoint Charlie to the left (Zimmerstrasse) and walking 300m, visitors will come at an open space. In this space is the Topographie des Terrors: a documentation center with lots of pictures and computer information of the period 1933 and 1945. The central institutions of Nazi persecution were located on this area. A part of the Berlin Wall is adjacent to the Topography of Terror site. This part of the wall is the second-longest what still exist (after the East Side Gallery).
East Side Gallery
The 'East Side Gallery' is 1.3km long and the longest and most famous existing part of the Berlin Wall. It's near Ostbahnhof in Friedrichshain. About 100 international artists have painted the Wall in 1990
Nearest station is 'Warschauer Strasse'. S-bahn lines (S3,S5,S7) are running along Hauptbahnhof, Friedrichstrasse, Alexanderplatz to Warschauer Strasse.
Metro line U1 connects Kurfurstendam with Warschauer Strasse (end station of the U1)
The fall of the Berlin Wall, 1989 (picture Wikipedia)
On the background, the Brandenburger Tor
Checkpoint Charlie (2010)
The Wall - East Side Gallery - (July, 2010)
The Topography of Terror is the the low building on the left. It's on the picture small but it is much bigger in real. The Wall is on the right. To Potsdamer Platz is 5 minutes walking.
Checkpoint Charlie seen from the East German side (1975)
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