What is Checkpoint Charlie and where was it located?
Checkpoint Charlie was a crossing point in the Berlin Wall located at the junction of Friedrichstraße and Zimmerstraße. It is situated in the Friedrichstadt district of Berlin.
Questions about Checkpoint Charlie
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did East Germans erect the barbed-wire barrier that became the Berlin Wall?
East Germans erected a barbed-wire barrier on the 13th of August 1961 to separate East and West Berlin. Police and army engineers began constructing a more permanent concrete wall two days later.
Why did tensions escalate between US and Soviet tanks at Checkpoint Charlie in October 1961?
Tensions escalated starting on the 22nd of October 1961 over whether East German border guards were authorized to examine travel documents of a US diplomat named Allan Lightner. Ten Soviet and ten American tanks stood 100 yards apart until they peacefully withdrew on the 28th of October following a US-Soviet understanding.
Who died trying to escape from East Berlin through Checkpoint Charlie in 1962?
A teenaged East German named Peter Fechter was shot in the pelvis by East German guards on the 17th of August 1962 while attempting to escape. His body lay tangled in a barbed wire fence as he bled to death within view of media and Western soldiers.
When did John F. Kennedy visit Checkpoint Charlie and what speech did he deliver?
U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited Checkpoint Charlie on the 26th of June 1963 and delivered his famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech. He looked from a platform onto the Berlin Wall and into East Berlin during this visit.