Berlin border crossings

There were several border crossings between East and West Berlin:

• Bornholmer Straße border crossing, on Bornholmer Straße over the Bösebrücke between Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg and Berlin-Wedding (opened 1961).
  • For West Berliners, citizens of the Federal Republic, GDR citizens, and diplomats (by road)
• Brandenburg Gate between Berlin-Tiergarten and Berlin-Mitte, opened on 13 August 1961. On 14 August West Berliners gathered on the western side of the gate to demonstrate against the Berlin Wall. Under the pretext that Western demonstrations required it, the East closed the checkpoint the same day, 'until further notice', a situation that was to last until 22 December 1989.
• Chausseestraße/Reinickendorfer Straße between Berlin-Wedding and Berlin-Mitte
  • For West Berliners and GDR citizens (by road)
• Invalidenstraße/Sandkrugbrücke between Tiergarten and Berlin-Mitte
  • For West Berliners and GDR citizens (by road)
• Checkpoint Charlie/Friedrichstraße between Berlin-Mitte and Berlin-Kreuzberg (opened 1961)
  • For foreigners, diplomats, Allied military personnel and GDR citizens (by road)
• Heinrich-Heine-Straße/Prinzenstraße between Berlin-Mitte and Berlin-Kreuzberg
  • For citizens of the Federal Republic, GDR citizens and diplomats (by road)
  • This was sometimes referred to as Checkpoint Delta
• Oberbaumbrücke between Friedrichshain and Berlin-Kreuzberg (opened 1963)
  • For West Berliners and GDR citizens (pedestrians)
• Sonnenallee between Neukölln and Treptow
  • For West Berliners and GDR citizens (by road)

In addition, entirely located in East Berlin (reached by streetcar, underground, or railroad):

• Friedrichstraße station (opened 1961)
  • For West Berliners, citizens of the Federal Republic, foreigners, diplomats, transit travelers and GDR citizens (rail/pedestrian)

• Glienicke Bridge over the Havel from Berlin-Wannsee to Potsdam
  • Open to general traffic until 1952.
  • From 1952 on, open only for access by the western Allied Military Liaison Missions. Civilians with special permission were later allowed to cross the bridge on foot.
  • From 3 July 1953, the bridge was closed as one of the last routes connecting Berlin with the surrounding area for civilian traffic.
  • It became well known in particular because three exchanges of captured agents took place there between the American and Soviet superpowers.
• Lichtenrade/Mahlow (Federal Road 96), only for garbage trucks of the Berlin sanitation department and automobiles on service trips from West Berlin to the dump in Schöneiche.
• Waltersdorf Chaussee/Rudow Chaussee, besides its function for transit to and from the Berlin-Schönefeld airport, was also opened for passage of West Berliners into the GDR. The crossing was little known, as only its transit function was mentioned in guidebooks.
• In Kohlhasenbrück, for access to the Steinstücken exclave, and only for the use of its residents. This crossing was abolished after the 1971 territorial exchange, when East Germany ceded the interjacent tract of land to West Berlin.
• Bürgerablage Beach, for access to the exclaves Erlengrund and Fichtewiese, two allotment clubs, only for use by allotmentiers there. The crossing was abolished after the 1988 territorial exchange, when East Germany ceded two tracts of interjacent land to West Berlin.

These crossings could be used for passage on the prescribed transit highways and for travel within the SOZ/GDR:

• Dreilinden (Allied Checkpoint Bravo)/Drewitz: The Autobahn Crossing Checkpoint Dreilinden and Border Crossing Station (GÜSt) Drewitz was for travel and freight traffic. Even after this portion of the autobahn was rebuilt and the crossing station was relocated on 15 October 1969, the names were retained. Berlin-Zehlendorf/Kleinmachnow would have been more correct.
  • to the Federal Republic, in the following directions:
    • Marienborn / Helmstedt (Lower Saxony, Hannover; Allied Checkpoint Alpha)
    • Hirschberg / Rudolphstein (Bavaria, Hof, Nürnberg, München)
    • Wartha / Herleshausen (toward Hesse, Frankfurt am Main)
  • into Czechoslovakia:
    • Zinnwald / Cinovec
  • to Poland:
    • Pomellen / Kołbaskowo (Kolbitzow) (in the direction of Szczecin, Gdańsk)
    • Frankfurt (Oder) / Slubice (toward central Poland, Warsaw)
    • Forst (toward southern Poland, (in the direction of Wrocław, Katowice, Kraków)
  • toward Scandinavia:
    • Sassnitz by Baltic sea passage to Sweden (Trelleborg), Denmark (Rønne)
    • Rostock / Warnemünde by Baltic sea passage to Denmark (Gedser), passengers and crews of passenger ships.
  • In addition the only trans-border bus line of the BVG, bus line 99, passed through this crossing from the Wannsee streetcar station to Potsdam-Babelsberg (autobahn exit) and back. Until 9 November 1989 only buses without an upper deck or advertising were allowed; afterwards, conventional double-decker buses with advertising would pass as well, due to increased traffic and the freedom of passage after the Berlin Wall fell.
• Heerstraße in Berlin-Staaken / Staaken-West (1951 – 1982, previously in Dallgow):
  • Horst / Lauenburg (B 5 / F 5: to northern Germany, Hamburg)
    • This crossing offered the only option for driving to the Federal Republic with vehicles not permitted on the autobahn (e.g., bicycles, mopeds, tractors, and other specialized vehicles), on condition that one make the trip without interruption (overnight stays, lengthy breaks).
    • This crossing was later closed and replaced by an autobahn connection through Tegel. With this change, the possibility of going through the GDR with other vehicles ended.
• Berlin-Heiligensee/Stolpe: Autobahn Crossing Checkpoint Berlin-Heiligensee and Stolpe in Hohen Neuendorf
  • to the Federal Republic, in the direction of:
    • Zarrentin / Gudow (northern Germany, Hamburg)
  • to Poland
    • Pomellen / Kołbaskowo (Kolbitzow) (toward Szczecin, Gdańsk)
  • to Scandinavia
    • Sassnitz by Baltic sea passage to Sweden (Trelleborg), Denmark (Rønne)
    • Rostock / Warnemünde by Baltic sea passage to Denmark (Gedser), passengers and crews of passenger ships.
• Lichtenrade / Großbeeren: This crossing planned but never realised. Intended to be developed as an autobahn border control station for transit travelers.

West German trains ran through East Germany. This 1977 view shows how barriers were made near the tracks to keep people away.

• Berlin-Wannsee/Griebnitzsee (for passenger traffic) and Steinstücken/Drewitz Station (for freight traffic)
  • Marienborn/Helmstedt (Hannover, western Germany)
  • Schwanheide/Büchen (Hamburg, northern Germany, 1961 – 1976)
  • Gerstungen/Bebra (western Germany, Hesse, Frankfurt am Main)
  • Probstzella/Ludwigsstadt (southern Germany, Hof, Nürnberg, München)
• Berlin-Spandau/Staaken (SOZ / 'GDR') (restricted to freight only from 1961 to 1976; during those years, passenger traffic was diverted via Berlin-Wannsee/Griebnitzsee)
  • Schwanheide/Büchen (Hamburg, northern Germany)
• Zoologischer Garten Station/Friedrichstraße Station
  • ČSSR, Poland, Scandinavia
    • Furthermore, many train connections ended at the Ostbahnhof (east station). Very few passenger coaches passed through (e.g. Paris – Moscow), and in general one had to change trains at the Ostbahnhof (then the Berlin main station) or in the Berlin-Lichtenberg station.

The numerous border crossings on waterways (e.g., Spree, Havel, Teltow Canal) were only open to commercial freight traffic. Recreational boats had to be loaded onto ships or towed overland.

• Tiefer See / Glienicke Lake (1954–1961) This crossing was not relevant for traffic to and from West Berlin.
• Dreilinden / Kleinmachnow, Teltow Canal (from 1981 on)
• Teufelssee Canal / Hennigsdorf (only traffic to and from GDR destinations and transit traffic (Poland), not to the Federal Republic)
• Potsdam-Nedlitz / Jungfernsee
• Crossings within the Berlin city limits

To and from Berlin-Schönefeld Airport for air travel:

• Waltersdorfer Chaussee/Rudower Chaussee (transfer bus to and from West Berlin)

also, within East Berlin territory (access via streetcar, U-bahn or rail):

• Friedrichstraße Station (starting in 1961)

At the Berlin-Tempelhof and Berlin-Tegel airports there were border crossings manned by West Berlin police and customs. These were not located in territory controlled by the GDR. In addition to processing for international air travel, the personal documents of travelers between West Berlin and the Federal Republic were inspected.

The various illegal or unofficial border crossings are not reliably documented:

• those constructed between the East and West by refugees and those who assisted them, mostly underground. Many of these were discovered and destroyed.
• those constructed by, e.g., the Ministry for State Security and other clandestine organizations, in order to transfer people unobserved between East and West.

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  East German guards at the Drewitz-Dreilinden crossing.
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  Passport control on the bus at the Drewitz-Dreilinden crossing.
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  What is left of Checkpoint Bravo today.
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  Checkpoint Charlie in 1977.
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  Crossing Checkpoint Charlie in 1988.
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  Sonnenallee crossing.
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  Chausseestraße crossing in 1964.
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  Invalidenstraße crossing in 1964.
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  Passport checks at the Oberbaumbrücke crossing in 1972.
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  Checkpoint booths outside the Friedrichstraße railway station, which, although located completely in East Berlin, was a major crossing as it was served by trains from West Berlin..
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  Border crossing Heerstraße in 1955.

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  Crowds of East Germans stream towards the Bornholmer Straße crossing on 10 November 1989, a day after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
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  Walking across the Böse-Brücke at the Bornholmer Straße crossing.
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  Queues of cars at the Bornholmer Straße crossing.
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  Crowds at the Chausseestraße crossing on 10 November 1989.
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  At the Invalidenstraße crossing on 10 November 1989.
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  At Checkpoint Charlie on 10 November 1989.
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  East Germans drive their vehicles through Checkpoint Charlie as they take advantage of relaxed travel restrictions to visit West Germany. The car is Lada 2102.
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  Queues at the Friedrichstraße railway station after the fall of the Wall.

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  Border control at the newly opened Brandenberger Tor crossing on 23 December 1989.
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  Crowds heading to the Brandenberger Tor crossing.
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  West German Chancellor Dr. Helmut Kohl, West Berlin mayor Walter Momper, West German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and East German Prime Minister Dr. Hans Modrow at the opening of the Brandenburger Tor crossing on 22 December 1989.
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  Handout announcing the opening of the Brandenburg Gate crossing.
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  The Eberswalder Straße being created on the night of 10 November 1989, a day after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The crossing was opened the following day.
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  East German guards doing the job at the Rudower Chaussee crossing on 21 November 1989.
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  Scene at the Stubenrauchstraße crossing on 14 November 1989.
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  An East German policeman monitors traffic returning to East Berlin through the newly created opening in the Berlin Wall at Potsdamer Platz on 14 November 1989.
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  Newly created crossing between East and West Berlin at Potsdamer Platz in November 1989.
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  Newly created crossing between East and West Berlin at Potsdamer Platz in November 1989.
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  East German border guards at walkway linking the S-Bahn and U-Bahn platforms, which is under West Berlin jurisdiction, at the Jannowitzbrücke subway station in November 1989.
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  Long queues to cross the border at the Jannowitzbrücke subway station in November 1989.

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  East German stamp from "Checkpoint Charlie" 1964
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  Brandenburg Gate pedestrian crossing passport stamp, 1990.
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  Friedrichstraße railway station crossing.
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  Griebnitzsee railway crossing.
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  Potsdamer Platz road crossing, 1990.
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  Bornholmer Straße road crossing, 1990.
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  Drewitz crossing autobahn crossing.
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  Staaken road crossing.
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  Bornholmer Straße and the newly opened Eberswalder Straße border crossings.
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  Stamps from the Brandenburg Gate and Potsdamer Platz crossings, as well as the Friedrichstraße railway station crossing and Friedrichstraße crossing, which is better known as Checkpoint Charlie.