Chausseestraße

Border Crossing Chausseestraße 92, 10115 Berlin

A low-profile border crossing, at the intersection of Chausseestraße and Liesenstraße, it was the location of an escape attempt on 8 April 1989, during which shots were fired.
Nearby: Berlin Wall History Mile, “Kaninchenfeld” (Rabbit Field), Memorial: “Wiedervereinigung”

Despite its low profile, Chausseestraße was the site of several dramatic incidents during the wall years. On 8 April 1989, just seven months before the wall fell, an escape attempt here ended with border guards firing shots – a stark reminder that the regime maintained its deadly border policy to the very end.

Chausseestraße border crossing 1963 (Photo: Bundesarchiv)

The crossing served mainly as a transit point for West Berliners visiting East Berlin. Unlike the more prominent crossings at Checkpoint Charlie or Friedrichstraße, Chausseestraße processed relatively few travelers and had a quieter, more bureaucratic atmosphere. The nearby Liesenstraße cemetery, which straddled the border, was divided by the wall, with graves on the eastern side inaccessible for decades.

Today the former crossing point is marked by the Berlin Wall History Mile and several memorials, including the “Kaninchenfeld” (Rabbit Field) sculpture nearby, which commemorates the wild rabbits that thrived in the undisturbed death strip. A memorial called “Wiedervereinigung” (Reunification) also stands at the site.