Berlin to turn Checkpoint Charlie into a public square of remembrance

The site has historic significance both to the city and to the whole of Europe, as the place where the Iron Curtain fell down

Today, Berlin authorities announced the start of public discussion for the redevelopment of Checkpoint Charlie. The site is one of the most famous locations of the Berlin Wall and is of huge symbolic importance to Berlin, Germany, the former Eastern Bloc and the rest of Europe.

A redevelopment project for Checkpoint Charlie

In 2018, local authorities in the German capital launched a project for redeveloping the area around Checkpoint Charlie into a public space and square, dedicated to remembrance. According to a statement by the city, doing that would help preserve its historical significance and allow both locals and visitors to appreciate its importance.

Now, as the project is moving forward, local authorities want to launch public consultation sessions and discuss the future of the site with Berliners. The sessions are set for 4 October, 10 November and 23 January.

State Secretary for Culture, Dr Torsten Wöhlert, was quoted in a press statement explaining that the location should become a high-quality urban space with educational and commemorative functions. This is why officials plan a collaborative approach for its redevelopment, and also because it is a site of international importance.

The city has also said that it wants to redevelop it as a sort of town square, taking into account the traffic, storefront and gathering space, as well as adjacent properties.

The most famous border crossing in Berlin

When the Berlin Wall was erected in 1961, East German authorities were desperately trying to stop the massive brain drain of people fleeing the German Democratic Republic to the west. With the construction of the wall, the free flow of people between the two Germanys was stopped and the only way for people to escape to the west was through border crossings.

Checkpoint Charlie is the most famous one, located in the formerly split city of Berlin. In 1962, a stand-off occurred between US and Soviet tanks at the crossing. Furthermore, in 1963, US president John F. Kennedy visited the checkpoint and looked from a platform onto the Berlin Wall and into East Germany.

When border crossing was allowed in 1989, thousands of Germans crossed into West Berlin, further cementing Checkpoint Charlie as a crucial space for the reunification of Germany. In 1990, when the wall was torn down and Germany reunited, part of the booth was removed, along with other border crossings.