Border crossings between East and West Berlin

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On 13 August 1961, the GDR leadership closed the border to West Berlin. On August 22, the GDR Ministry of the Interior established crossing points – seven on streets and one at a train station – to be used by West Berliners, citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany, and foreign nationals. East Berliners and GDR citizens were not permitted to cross the border.

People traveling between the Federal Republic of Germany and West Berlin used transit routes with their own border crossing points.

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Former border crossings

Former border crossing at Bornholmer Strasse

Image: Landesarchiv Berlin 0110533/D. Lohse
Former border crossing at Chausseestrasse

Image: Landesarchiv Berlin 0078860/Gert Schütz
Former border crossing at Invalidenstrasse

Image: Landesarchiv Berlin 0078732/Johann Willa
Grenzübergang Bahnhof Friedrichstraße; Grenzkontrollstelle "Tränenpalast" 1966

Image: Landesarchiv Berlin 0246521/Ingeborg Lammtzsch
Former border crossing at Friedrichstrasse (Checkpoint Charlie)

Image: Landesarchiv Berlin 0078844/Edmund Kasperski
Former border crossing at Heinrich-Heine-Strasse 1968

Image: Landesarchiv Berlin 0129260/Hans Seiler
Oberbaumbrücke; Grenze nach Ost-Berlin; Abbruch der Türme auf der Brücke 1974

Image: Landesarchiv Berlin 0175256/Horst Siegmann
Former border crossing at Sonnenallee

Image: Landesarchiv Berlin 0305554/Ludwig Ehlers