Checkpoint Charlie

This is Checkpoint Charlie as seen from the East. This was the boarder between the American and Soviet controlled parts of the city. All the buildings around me have been build since the wall came down. The buildings in the picture are older. The line of brick that the cyclist is heading for is where the Eastern wall (there were two walls in most places) used to be. The distance between the line of brick and the checkpoint was a death zone. If you could sprint that distance without being killed, you earned the right to live in the West.

Now the place is littered with gift shops where for only 3 Euros, you too can buy a piece of the Berlin Wall. What a difference a decade makes.

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Created on Wednesday 17th of December 2003 22:31:38 -0800 Updated on Wednesday 24th of December 2003 15:41:11 -0800