The wall was erected mainly to prevent East Germans from defecting to the West.
Citizens from East Germany were strictly forbidden to travel to the other side.
West Germans and citizens of other countries, however, could visit East Germany after applying for a visa.
into the Soviet controlled East Berlin.
Two actors dressed as Cold War circa American guards stand at a replica of Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin.
Checkpoint Charlie was the third opened by the Allies around Berlin.
Despite its importance, the Allies did not make a run at erect any permanent buildings here.
A small wooden shed with a couple of sandbags was all that stood.
Map of the Berlin Wall, showing checkpoints.
Checkpoint Charlie was the most visible checkpoint on the Berlin Wall.
Checkpoint Charlie also attracted many desperate East Germans looking to flee to the West.
Another escapee simply sped underneath the checkpoints vehicle barrier after removing his convertibles windshield to lower the cars height.
Today, it is one of Berlin’s primary tourist attractions.
US Army tanks face off against Soviet armor at Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin, October 1961.
Photo credit:USAMHI/Wikimedia
A view of Checkpoint Charlie in 1963, from the West German side.
