New Cold War exhibit opens at Checkpoint Charlie

[September 21, 2012]  BERLIN (AP) -- Berlin is unveiling a new Cold War exhibition at the former Checkpoint Charlie border crossing -- a step toward setting up a permanent museum about the standoff between East and West.

The "BlackBox Cold War" exhibition uses posters, newspapers, videos and other artifacts to narrate the conflict from Germany's post-World War II division to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

It opens Friday and is expected to remain for at least two years. Supporters hope to complete a larger, permanent museum at the site in 2015 or 2016.

Mayor Klaus Wowereit says the checkpoint -- where U.S. and Soviet tanks faced off in 1961 -- "is the only place worldwide where both superpowers directly faced each other with weapons and the danger of a hot war was palpable."

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.