Checkpoint Charlie, the former border checkpoint between the divided German city of East and West Berlin, has become a tourist magnet since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Visitors pose for photos at the spot – which is known for the standoff between Soviet and American tanks in October 1961 – while locals refer to with disdain as a sort of ‘Cold War Disneyland’.
In November 2019 city authorities put an end to the ‘exploitation of tourists’ by actors dressed as US soldiers who would charge for passport stamps and photos and who reportedly made up to €5,000 a day, according to The Guardian.
Now, after years of debate, city authorities have finally approved a redevelopment plan for the historic spot which will include a museum, public square and new residential buildings.
‘With a wide participation from citizens, a development shaping the future for this special place was able to get underway,’ said Berlin’s urban development senator, Katrin Lompscher in a statement.
According to German news agency DPA, the new plan will be discussed in the House of Representatives and should be finalised by February.
Leaders from across Europe came together in Berlin in November to mark the 30 year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Featured image: Flickr/ poetwarrior2003
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