Checkpoint Charlie was one of the main gateways for crossing between the two halves of Berlin during the Cold War. The naming of the checkpoints was based on the phonetic alphabet, and as this was the third such checkpoint it was given the name of Charlie. It became a symbol of the Cold War - representing the division of East & West - and was seen as a gateway to freedom for the East Germans. The checkpoint ceased operation when the wall was opened in 1989, and the checkpoint booth was removed in 1990. These days a replica of the booth has been erected in the same place the original once stood, along with a copy of the sign that used to mark the border crossing. Right near the checkpoint is the Haus Checkpoint Charlie, a private museum which opened in 1962, not long after the wall was built. The museum chronicles the history and horror of the Berlin Wall, with some amazing stories about how some people attempted to escape and in some cases succeeded.