Kontrollgigant
Maker: Ulrike Wolf
Date Made: 1980-1990
Country: Germany
Materials: paper
Measurements: 10.5 cm x 14.8 cm; 4 1/8 in x 5 13/16 in
8 copies, one still uncut, of a postcard with four color photos of Checkpoint Charlie. The photos are intended to show the GDR's emphasis on control, regulation, surveillance, and strict organization. The photo on the top left shows the organization of traffic flows through Checkpoint Charlie. The top right and bottom left photos depict the covered area where vehicles would enter to be processed before crossing. The bottom right photo is of a passport control office, where individuals would have their identities and travel documents verified. The postcards seem to suggest a tourist fascination with the GDR's control apparatus at border checkpoints like Checkpoint Charlie. Furthermore, the empty traffic ways and closed blinds in the passport control office reveal how Checkpoint Charlie's infrastructure became obsolete after the re-unification of Germany.
Accession Number: 2017.015.009
Collection/Series: Peter Bochmann Border Guard Collection