"Haus am Checkpoint Charlie" Museum

Based at the legendary border crossing Checkpoint Charlie, the Wall Museum traces the history of the divided Germany. Opened in 1962, it is one of the city's most popular visitor attractions. The diverse collection of exhibits includes the actual tools and equipment used by people in their attempts to flee East Germany. But the most gruesome item on display is the automatic-fire weapon used at the border. Visitors can also learn about the Berlin Wall, its construction and how it came to fall, life in East Germany, the Stasi secret police, justice and the legal system, repression, opposition and resistance, and the escapes to the West, the people involved and the methods employed. Open daily. Guided tours available on request.