Berlin spotlight: Checkpoint Charlie Museum

Europe is inundated with history older than the United States. While much of this is fascinating, I very much enjoyed our trip to Berlin for a dose of modern, yet sobering, history.

Berlin Wall marker - thanks Xtina for the pic!

The guidebooks recommended it and I 100% agree – the Checkpoint Charlie Museum is fabulous. Checkpoint Charlie was one of the main gates between East Berlin (Soviet Union) and West Berlin (governed by the US). Though the actual checkpoint is still standing (pictured on the right), the interesting history is in the museum.






It is unbelievable to think that the wall existed in even my lifetime. I was particularly struck by the picture below drawn by a young child living on the Soviet side – while I was drawing daisies, turtles, and wide smiling self-portraits, another child around my age was drawing this portrayal of their own childhood.

Perhaps even more disturbing were the accounts of those who tried to cross the border. Zip-lines, canoes, secret compartments in cars, and shopping bags were among the examples of successful crossings at the museum – most accompanied with the actual transporting vessel and story from those who used them. People so badly wanted to cross the border that impressive ingenuity emerged from their desperation. One man constructed the largest hot air balloon in ever built at that time and escaped in the night.  Another built a one-man submarine that propelled him across the river.

One main airplane used to fly over the wall

Accounts like these of life divided by the wall made the Checkpoint Charlie Museum a real highlight of our trip to Berlin. It is worth the steep admission fee (again – bring your student ID!) and at least an hour and a half of your trip – even if you are not a history buff.