Berlin Wall Sites Near Heidelberger Straße Tunnels
Known as the "Straße der Tränen" (Street of Tears), Heidelberger Straße was split down the middle by the Berlin Wall, with the western pavement in Neukölln and the eastern side in Treptow. Multiple escape tunnels were dug here in 1962, helping over 100 people reach the West. On 27 March 1962, escape helper Heinz Jercha was shot by Stasi agents in an ambush at Nr. 75 on the East side. Though fatally wounded, he crawled back through the tunnel to West Berlin, where he died shortly after. A bronze memorial plaque at Nr. 35 commemorates his sacrifice.
15 Berlin Wall Sites Within Walking Distance
Heidelberger Straße Tunnels
Known as the "Straße der Tränen" (Street of Tears), Heidelberger Straße was split down the middle by the Berlin Wall, with the western pavement in...
Bethke Brothers Escape
Site of two of the most daring Berlin Wall escapes. On 31 March 1983, Holger Bethke climbed to a rooftop near Treptow Park, fired an...
Kiefholzstraße Tunnel
In the early 1960s, several escape tunnels were dug along the Neukölln-Treptow border near Kiefholzstraße, where favourable soil conditions and the border configuration aided tunnel...
Führungsstelle Schlesischer Busch
In Schlesischer Busch park, a former four-storey command tower still stands. It is one of only a handful of surviving Berlin Wall watchtowers. Unlike standard...
Oberbaumbrücke
Crossing the River Spree, this beautiful double-decker bridge is well-known Berlin landmark. It became a pedestrian border-crossing for West Berliners. The entire width of the...
East Side Gallery
The longest surviving stretch of the Berlin Wall, this 1.3km open-air gallery along the Spree was painted by 118 artists from 21 countries in 1990....
Sebastianstraße Tunnel
In 1962, Siegfried Noffke and Dieter Hötger dug a tunnel approximately 30 metres long from this building in West Kreuzberg under the Wall to Heinrich-Heine-Straße...
Flughafen Tempelhof
The airport where the Berlin Airlift (1948-1949) broke the Soviet blockade of West Berlin, with Allied planes landing every 90 seconds to supply the city....
Heinrich-Heine-Straße
A former border crossing between the Russian and US sectors. There isn't much to see here today. The route of the Berlin Wall is marked...
Chris Gueffroy Gedenkzeichen
A simple cross and information panel mark the spot at the Britzer Zweigkanal where 20-year-old Chris Gueffroy was shot on 5 February 1989. He was...
Sonnenallee
This was one of the quieter border crossings. It became better known after the 1999 comedy movie with the same name. Today it is marked...
U-Bahnhof Jannowitzbrücke
The first ghost station to reopen, on 11 November 1989, just two days after the Wall fell. A provisional border checkpoint was hastily set up...
Zimmerstraße Escape Tunnels
Two escape tunnels were dug on Zimmerstraße, close to Checkpoint Charlie. In summer 1962, a tunnel from an empty lot in the West to Zimmerstraße...
Stasi Museum
Located in the former headquarters of the Ministry for State Security in Lichtenberg, this museum preserves the office of Stasi chief Erich Mielke exactly as...
Peter Fechter Gedenkstele
A memorial cross marks the spot where 18-year-old Peter Fechter was shot by border guards on 17 August 1962 while trying to escape to the...
