Crossing the Iron Curtain

Open from March 6, 2026

During the Cold War, the dividing line between the two power blocs of the USA and the Soviet Union ran right through the middle of Berlin. Checkpoint Charlie in particular became a world-famous symbol of the Cold War as a result of the tank standoff in 1961. As an international "gateway" in the Berlin Wall, however, the border crossing was much more than that: it was a permanent challenge to the GDR's border regime, a transit area, but also the scene of spectacular escape attempts, protests, and spy films.