The Building of the Wall in 1961: A Search for Traces in the Center of Berlin

Since the border was closed in August 1961, the Wall did run right through the middle of Berlin. Join us on a search for traces around the famous Checkpoint Charlie. Here, the sector border in Zimmerstraße ran along the front of the houses: The houses belonged to West Berlin, the sidewalk in front of the houses to East Berlin. In the audio walk, you will learn how the decision to build the Berlin Wall was made in the East and how the border was closed here. You will hear how the Western powers and leading politicians as well as the population of East and West Berlin reacted. What happened in the now divided center of Berlin? Historical audio documents and photos provide immediate insights into the first months after the Wall was built.

The approximately 75-minute audio walk with eight stops starts at Potsdamer Platz and leads along Niederkirchnerstraße and the former Checkpoint Charlie to Zimmerstraße 54.

The interactive map shows the course of the route and the stations. Click on the individual stations to access the audio files and historical photos.