Haus AM Checkpoint Charlie Photographic Print (1961) By Museum Mauer Wall
This is a photograph of an East German soldier helping a little boy cross the newly erected Berlin Wall the day it was built. A boy who’d gotten left behind in the chaos of people fleeing and families caught on different sides of the border. The soldier is young, and his eyes, looking warily over his shoulder, are full of fear. And yet, he persisted.
Despite being given orders by the East German government to let no one pass into East Berlin, the soldier helped the boy sneak through the barbwire. It was reported that the soldier was caught doing this benevolent deed by his superior officer, who removed the soldier from his unit. Hopefully, his punishment was minor and he wasn’t imprisoned or shot. Descriptions of this photo come with the caveat that “no one knows what became of him”.
Checkpoint Charlie
“C” for “Charlie” is an alphabetic code: Checkpoint “Alpha” in Helmstedt (crossing point Federal Republic/GDR), “Bravo” in Dreilinden (crossing point GDR/West Berlin), and “Charlie” on Friedrichstraße (crossing point American/Soviet sector). At Checkpoint Charlie, only passable by diplomats and foreigners, the USA and Soviet Union faced each other – a situation that escalated to the point of a tank confrontation. Here, too, the Western powers became guardians for the “island” of West Berlin.
On 1 September 1961 the US Army constructed the first consultation and checkpoint. In the middle of Friedrichstraße, across from house number 207, a car was positioned to monitor visitor traffic.
The first Allied control barracks of Checkpoint Charlie, constructed 22 September 1961, were first operated by the US Army exclusively. After 1962 British and French military police were also stationed there.
Photographic Print on Hard Plastic board
85 cm x 60 cm x 3 cm
In Good Condition
The buyer will need to arrange Courier transport due to the fragility and size of the piece.
