Why our museum is the only one of its kind in the world

Our museum was founded shortly after the construction of the Wall (13 August 1961) and opened on 19 October 1962. „As close to injustice as possible, that is where human greatness becomes the most apparent,“ said the founder of our museum Dr. Rainer Hildebrandt. This is how he came to Checkpoint Charlie, to use the museum as an expression of protest against the Wall and to help those in need. The museum grew over time and contributed to the fall of the Wall. The museum has helped write history.

An initial exhibit was held in a 2 1/2 room flat. We implored the tourists to be grateful to the border soldiers who do not aim to shoot: „Look past the uniform!“ Some of the border soldiers felt that they had been understood, and became fellow fighters after their escape.

The droves of visitors encouraged us to seek out new spaces: on 14 June 1963 the „Haus am Checkpoint Charlie“ was opened and became an oasis of freedom in the last building right before the border. Here, escape accomplices could see all movements at the border crossing through a small window. Refugees were always welcome and supported here. Escape plans were drafted here, and this site was always used to fight against injustice in the GDR.

Accomplices we had befriended brought us hot-air balloons, escape cars, chair lifts, a mini submarine. We have activists in the resistance to thank for a spring gun (dismantled under risk of mortal danger) and a piece of the wall of the pipe lining, chipped off by „Wall runner John Runnings“.

We are also able to refer to ourselves as the first museum of the international non-violent struggle. There are over a hundred military museums in the world. In an age of increasing responsibility for our home planet, there are sure to be more museums of the international non-violent struggle in the future. „The world is so well constructed that there are stronger, overpowering counterforces against every injustice. … In the midst of injustice, justice persists, in the midst of untruth the truth persists, in the midst of darkness the light persists.“ – Words from Mahatma Gandhi.