A checkpoint was established on the site on 1 July 1945, which lay on the line between the British and Soviet occupation zones. The checkpoint buildings were directly located on the border, and consisted of little more than small wooden buildings.
From 1950 the East German Grenzpolizei carried out the border control on the eastern side of the checkpoint, with the exception of the Soviet military, which handled Allied military traffic to and from West Berlin.
Due to the increasing tensions between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the crossing was expanded and security was tightened. However, the original checkpoint was later regarded too unsafe to operate efficiently.
|
|
|
