This is where east meets west in the heart of Europe 00:00:27.12\00:00:30.46 this is where Communism and Capitalism clashed 00:00:30.49\00:00:34.46 during the Cold War. 00:00:34.50\00:00:35.83 The crossing point between east and west was called 00:00:35.86\00:00:39.53 Checkpoint Charley was universally known as 00:00:39.57\00:00:43.44 the epicenter of the conflict. 00:00:43.47\00:00:45.07 Throughout its history it was a place of high-tension 00:00:45.11\00:00:48.88 and drama it all began after the II World War with the 00:00:48.91\00:00:57.49 1945 Occupation of Germany. 00:00:57.52\00:00:59.85 The United States and the Soviet Union began to emerge 00:00:59.89\00:01:04.63 as ideologically opposed superpowers. 00:01:04.66\00:01:07.20 Each wanting to exert their influence in the 00:01:07.23\00:01:10.77 Post World War and unfortunately Germany became the focus 00:01:10.80\00:01:16.67 of Cold War Politics. 00:01:16.71\00:01:18.54 It was an era of secrets, spies, espionage, Covid operations, 00:01:18.57\00:01:25.35 agents, and assignations. 00:01:25.38\00:01:27.62 Many agents were operating under cover living double lives 00:01:27.65\00:01:32.95 to infiltrate enemy governments and societies, 00:01:32.99\00:01:36.16 it was a time when information was king and fear 00:01:36.19\00:01:40.40 and uncertainty ruled. 00:01:40.43\00:01:42.70 All this subterfuge, conflict and espionage soon became 00:01:42.73\00:01:47.87 hot property in Hollywood, the James Bond series exploded 00:01:47.90\00:01:51.91 and quickly captivated the world but Hollywood isn't 00:01:51.94\00:01:56.24 real life and for the millions of people affected by 00:01:56.28\00:01:59.35 the politics of the Cold War it was a heart-rending, grinding 00:01:59.38\00:02:04.09 and difficult time. 00:02:04.12\00:02:05.72 Join me on a journey back to the Cold War 00:02:05.75\00:02:08.92 when Checkpoint Charley held center stage 00:02:08.96\00:02:12.09 in the fight for freedom. 00:02:12.13\00:02:13.60 As we take a closer look at the price of freedom 00:02:13.63\00:02:16.87 and what freedom really is and as we do so, you may find 00:02:16.90\00:02:22.37 the freedom you are really looking for. 00:02:22.40\00:02:25.31 In the spring of 1945 as the II World War in Europe 00:02:47.70\00:02:52.00 ground to an end, the full liberating allied forces 00:02:52.03\00:02:56.44 Britain, France, the United States, and Russia 00:02:56.47\00:02:59.61 met in the capital city of Germany, Berlin. 00:02:59.64\00:03:03.55 At the Potsdam Conference held between the 17 of July 00:03:03.58\00:03:07.35 on the 2nd of August 1945, they agreed to divide the city 00:03:07.38\00:03:12.25 into four sectors, each one controlled by one of the 00:03:12.29\00:03:16.02 occupying forces, however, Britain, France, and the US 00:03:16.06\00:03:20.70 soon decided to join their sectors. 00:03:20.73\00:03:23.93 It was only meant to be a temporary solution but the 00:03:23.97\00:03:27.54 four occupying zones in Berlin quickly led to a 00:03:27.57\00:03:30.97 divided city and a divided nation. 00:03:31.01\00:03:33.51 Although the invasions, shootings, and bombings 00:03:33.54\00:03:37.08 of World War II had ended, there soon arose a tension 00:03:37.11\00:03:40.62 in the city and a new kind of conflict in the Post War Era. 00:03:40.65\00:03:44.89 Shortly after the end of the war in October 1945 00:03:44.92\00:03:49.69 the famous English Writer George Orwell wrote about 00:03:49.72\00:03:53.60 the new threat of Nuclear Warfare between the two 00:03:53.63\00:03:56.87 Super Powers and used the term Cold War in his article 00:03:56.90\00:04:02.10 You and the Atomic Bomb. 00:04:02.14\00:04:03.87 The world had quickly become divided into two hostile camps 00:04:03.91\00:04:08.74 dominated by the two super powers the United States 00:04:08.78\00:04:12.55 and the Soviet Union. 00:04:12.58\00:04:14.05 The name Chosen for this Geo-Political confrontation 00:04:14.08\00:04:18.02 between the two World Super Powers was George Orwell's 00:04:18.05\00:04:22.39 term "The Cold War." 00:04:22.42\00:04:24.59 Even though the USA and USSR had been allies and fought 00:04:24.63\00:04:29.63 on the same side during World War II there was soon 00:04:29.66\00:04:32.90 tension and animosity between the two governments 00:04:32.93\00:04:36.40 and the opposing systems they represented. 00:04:36.44\00:04:38.77 The US wanted to curb the spread of Communism, 00:04:38.81\00:04:42.44 the Russian style of government in the world while the U.S.S.R. 00:04:42.48\00:04:46.92 wanted to spread its influence as far as possible. 00:04:46.95\00:04:50.75 The First Russian Control Communist sect-like government 00:04:50.79\00:04:55.26 was formed in Poland in 1947 followed by Bulgaria, Romania, 00:04:55.29\00:05:01.10 Hungary, Yugoslavia, and other eastern countries including 00:05:01.13\00:05:05.93 Czechoslovakia. 00:05:05.97\00:05:07.30 So to combat the Communist pressure the U.S. held Greece 00:05:07.34\00:05:12.34 and Turkey fold capitalist governments in 1947. 00:05:12.37\00:05:16.38 But it was Germany whose government was centered here 00:05:16.41\00:05:21.72 at the Right Star that became the focus of Cold War politics 00:05:21.75\00:05:25.62 and the super-power rivalry. 00:05:25.65\00:05:27.69 The country was soon divided into two independent nations 00:05:27.72\00:05:31.66 East Germany and West Germany and tensions escalated in 00:05:31.69\00:05:36.70 the U.S. controlled West Berlin sector that was completely 00:05:36.73\00:05:40.70 surrounded by East Germany that was now under 00:05:40.74\00:05:44.41 the control of Russia. 00:05:44.44\00:05:46.24 The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international 00:05:46.27\00:05:50.61 crises of the Cold War. In 1948 the Russian forces blocked 00:05:50.65\00:05:56.48 the Western Allied railways, road, and canal access to the 00:05:56.52\00:06:01.16 now surrounded and besieged West Berlin 00:06:01.19\00:06:04.29 so the allies organized the Berlin Air-Lift. 00:06:04.33\00:06:08.53 For 15 months, planes known as Candy- Bombers flew more than 00:06:08.56\00:06:14.64 250,000 times to West Berlin bringing thousands of tons 00:06:14.67\00:06:19.91 of necessary supplies of fuel and food to the people 00:06:19.94\00:06:24.31 The Cold War was truly underway. 00:06:24.35\00:06:27.68 And although there was no official war declared between 00:06:27.72\00:06:31.75 the two superpowers, the U.S. and Russia fought indirectly 00:06:31.79\00:06:36.26 in proxy wars in Korea and Vietnam. 00:06:36.29\00:06:39.43 The two powers also competed to get the upper hand on their 00:06:39.46\00:06:44.47 military might dramatically increasing their defense forces 00:06:44.50\00:06:48.40 and military spending. 00:06:48.44\00:06:50.17 The race was on to create for the best weapons for war 00:06:50.21\00:06:54.14 and to develop nuclear bombs in case of an attack. 00:06:54.18\00:06:57.38 By 1949 the U.S.S.R. began testing its nuclear weapons 00:06:57.41\00:07:02.72 followed by the U.S.A.'s test of the first hydrogen bomb in 1950. 00:07:02.75\00:07:08.06 The fear in the U.S.A. of the spread of the Russian communism 00:07:08.09\00:07:12.29 and the threat of nuclear attacks was palpable and soon 00:07:12.33\00:07:16.46 created the perfect environment for espionage. 00:07:16.50\00:07:19.73 It quickly became a vital under- taking by both superpowers 00:07:19.77\00:07:24.37 to protect the national security and hopefully prevent another 00:07:24.41\00:07:29.44 major World War. 00:07:29.48\00:07:30.91 Then the Cold War almost became hot in 1961, between 1959 00:07:30.95\00:07:38.72 and 1961 CIA agents in the U.S.A. recruited and trained 00:07:38.75\00:07:44.66 1,500 Cuban exiles to overthrow Fidel Castro, the president 00:07:44.69\00:07:50.60 of Communist Cuba. The fowled incident was dubbed 00:07:50.63\00:07:55.00 The Bay of Pigs Invasion. 00:07:55.04\00:07:57.14 Then Russia decided to set up nuclear missile sites launches 00:07:57.17\00:08:03.24 in Communist Cuba aimed at all the major cities of the U.S.A. 00:08:03.28\00:08:07.95 it was called the Cuban Missile Crisis and is considered 00:08:07.98\00:08:12.75 the most critically dangerous event in the Cold War. 00:08:12.79\00:08:16.69 Diplomacy between the U.S. President Kennedy and the 00:08:16.73\00:08:21.36 Russian President Khrushchev under the guidance of 00:08:21.40\00:08:24.47 the United Nations President averted a crisis, it was decided 00:08:24.50\00:08:29.20 that America would not attack Cuba and in turn Russia 00:08:29.24\00:08:34.18 would withdraw missile stations from Cuba. 00:08:34.21\00:08:37.45 After this precarious event, many world leaders wanted a ban 00:08:37.48\00:08:43.05 on nuclear weapons. A hotline was soon established between 00:08:43.08\00:08:46.59 the Kremlin and the White House to encourage both countries 00:08:46.62\00:08:50.83 to refrain from nuclear war. 00:08:50.86\00:08:53.09 But the Cold War continued to thrive due to simmering tensions 00:08:53.13\00:08:58.73 caused by the ongoing issue of the undivided Germany. 00:08:58.77\00:09:02.44 The city of East Berlin was the capital of East Germany 00:09:02.47\00:09:06.34 and under the control of the Soviets, while the city of 00:09:06.37\00:09:11.45 West Berlin an isolated island some 180 kilometers behind 00:09:11.51\00:09:15.58 the Iron Curtain or border between East and West Germany 00:09:15.65\00:09:19.72 was protected by the Allied Forces. 00:09:19.75\00:09:22.99 East Germany was known as the German Democratic Republic 00:09:23.02\00:09:28.23 and its leader Walter Ulbricht had been part of the German 00:09:28.26\00:09:32.90 Communist Party from 1919 the year it was founded. 00:09:32.93\00:09:37.31 Ulbricht was a hardline Stalinist whose goal was to make 00:09:37.34\00:09:42.48 East Germany a model Socialist State. 00:09:42.51\00:09:45.75 For 16 years after the end of World War II 00:09:45.78\00:09:49.85 the sector boundary was an almost invisible border 00:09:49.88\00:09:53.96 marked only by the occasional painted line. 00:09:53.99\00:09:57.06 Then without warning in 1961 Ulbricht directed the building 00:09:57.09\00:10:03.13 of the Berlin Wall to stop the flood of people from 00:10:03.16\00:10:06.50 East Germany leaving the Communist dictatorship 00:10:06.53\00:10:10.14 for a life of freedom in the West Germany. 00:10:10.17\00:10:12.84 Now, what made this wall so extraordinary was the speed 00:10:12.87\00:10:17.95 at which it was built. In the early hours of August 1961 00:10:17.98\00:10:23.12 10,000 East German soldiers were sent into the streets 00:10:23.15\00:10:27.52 of Berlin and began to seal the border and its crossings 00:10:27.56\00:10:31.06 between the eastern Soviet occupied zone of Berlin and the 00:10:31.09\00:10:35.80 Western American and British, and French-controlled sectors. 00:10:35.86\00:10:40.54 But it wasn't just one wall, but two measuring 155 kilometers 00:10:40.57\00:10:47.58 or 96 miles long and four meters or 13 feet tall 00:10:47.61\00:10:52.38 these walls were separated by a heavily guarded and mined 00:10:52.41\00:10:57.25 corridor of land known as the "Death Strip." 00:10:57.29\00:11:00.39 When people in Berlin woke up on the 13th of August 1961 00:11:00.42\00:11:06.06 they suddenly found themselves on one side or the other 00:11:06.09\00:11:10.10 of the wall. The Berlin Wall divided a city of people 00:11:10.13\00:11:15.24 and the world tearing apart families and friends. 00:11:15.27\00:11:18.97 People in East Berlin had lost their freedom to travel 00:11:19.01\00:11:23.75 in a sense, the wall created the largest prison in the world. 00:11:23.78\00:11:29.28 The Berlin Wall soon became a powerful symbol of the Cold War 00:11:29.32\00:11:34.42 and divided Germany from 1961 to 1989. 00:11:34.46\00:11:39.36 The building of the Berlin Wall now made the border between 00:11:39.39\00:11:43.53 east and west a militarized border and the most famous 00:11:43.57\00:11:47.64 border was Checkpoint Charlie. 00:11:47.67\00:11:50.41 This was now the Cold War frontline and became 00:11:50.44\00:11:54.58 an iconic symbol of the division of Germany. 00:11:54.61\00:11:57.95 On the 22nd of October, 1961 soon after the wall was built, 00:11:57.98\00:12:03.99 for the first time, members of the American military mission 00:12:04.02\00:12:08.69 were asked to show their identity cards when they 00:12:08.72\00:12:11.16 drove into East Berlin. 00:12:11.19\00:12:12.63 The Americans refused as it breached an 00:12:12.66\00:12:16.36 international agreement but their vehicle was stopped. 00:12:16.40\00:12:19.90 In retaliation the Americans stopped Soviet vehicles from 00:12:19.93\00:12:25.57 entering West Berlin, there was a tense combat alert as US and 00:12:25.61\00:12:30.85 Russian tanks faced each other until the 27th of October, 1961. 00:12:30.88\00:12:36.45 when the tanks retreated to their own side of the 00:12:36.48\00:12:39.79 checkpoint. 00:12:39.82\00:12:41.92 Now, life in East Germany before the war went up was tough, 00:12:41.96\00:12:46.06 but as soon as the barbed wire was rolled out the escapes 00:12:46.09\00:12:50.97 began. Some just jumped over the barbed wire as it was laid out 00:12:51.00\00:12:55.27 before the concrete barricades were built but they had to 00:12:55.30\00:12:59.11 become more inventive once the wall was erected. 00:12:59.17\00:13:02.34 They didn't just escape over the wall, in the 28 years that 00:13:02.38\00:13:07.75 the wall divided the city, spy tunnels and more than 00:13:07.78\00:13:11.45 seventy escape tunnels were built underneath the wall 00:13:11.49\00:13:15.06 and around 300 people managed to escape through these tunnels 00:13:15.09\00:13:18.89 to freedom. But it's the Mauer Museum that is known around 00:13:18.93\00:13:23.97 the world for its extensive collection of historical items 00:13:24.00\00:13:28.14 from the time of a divided Berlin and its assembly 00:13:28.17\00:13:31.81 of its amazing inventive ways people found to escape. 00:13:31.84\00:13:36.38 One of the early successful escapee's was 22-year old 00:13:36.41\00:13:41.62 Joachim Rudolph. One night he waded through a river, 00:13:41.65\00:13:46.35 crawled through a field, and hid from the border guards 00:13:46.39\00:13:49.96 until he had crossed the border into West Germany. 00:13:49.99\00:13:53.29 But what makes his escape so remarkable is that two months 00:13:53.33\00:13:58.00 later when the young engineering student is safe and studying 00:13:58.03\00:14:02.50 at the West Berlin University a couple of Italian students 00:14:02.54\00:14:06.41 asked Joachim to work with them to tunnel back into East Berlin 00:14:06.44\00:14:10.91 to help some other friends and family escape. 00:14:10.95\00:14:14.05 Joachim willingly worked with them to build not one 00:14:14.08\00:14:18.75 but two tunnels and despite being betrayed, 00:14:18.79\00:14:22.22 the group eventually assisted 29 people to escape from 00:14:22.26\00:14:26.23 the east. One of the transport carts used in the tunnels 00:14:26.26\00:14:30.60 can still be seen today. 00:14:30.63\00:14:32.60 People found novel and sometimes virtually impossible ways to 00:14:32.63\00:14:38.54 escape, take for example this Esetta, it doesn't look like 00:14:38.57\00:14:43.55 your usual escape vehicle and certainly doesn't have enough 00:14:43.58\00:14:48.15 space to hide a passenger. 00:14:48.18\00:14:50.29 But space was made for a person to hide by taking out 00:14:50.32\00:14:54.52 the manifold, the heating system and changing the 00:14:54.56\00:14:58.03 position of the exhaust pipe. Six times people escaped to the 00:14:58.06\00:15:02.53 west in one of these tiny Esetta's. 00:15:02.56\00:15:05.90 Curt Wardeau used a larger vehicle, using three VW 1200s 00:15:05.93\00:15:12.77 like this one was a hidden area just large enough for a person 00:15:12.81\00:15:16.95 to hide in the Bonnet. Curt smuggled 55 people out of 00:15:16.98\00:15:22.08 East Germany between 1964 to 1966. 00:15:22.12\00:15:26.82 Another successful escape plan involved this Opal P4 Van 00:15:26.86\00:15:31.89 that carried five people across the border. 00:15:31.93\00:15:35.00 The car had armor plating placed on the sides and the rear 00:15:35.03\00:15:39.50 the insides of the door were filled with concrete 00:15:39.53\00:15:43.07 so it was now virtually a bullet proof vehicle. 00:15:43.10\00:15:46.94 The driver then just drove straight through the 00:15:46.98\00:15:50.45 border crossing to freedom despite being shot at by 00:15:50.48\00:15:54.78 the border guards. 00:15:54.82\00:15:56.15 In 1977 singer Renate Hagen was helped to escape East Berlin 00:15:56.18\00:16:02.62 by hiding in one of the loud speaker boxes in the back 00:16:02.66\00:16:05.99 of a station wagon. 00:16:06.03\00:16:07.50 In their desperate attempts to escape and find freedom 00:16:07.53\00:16:12.00 some went over the wall others went under the wall, 00:16:12.03\00:16:15.74 Peter Faust went around the wall. 00:16:15.77\00:16:18.57 In 1988 Peter escaped in an inflatable boat with a surf sail 00:16:18.61\00:16:24.88 built of hockey sticks. He sailed past post guards 00:16:24.91\00:16:28.28 on the Baltic Sea to freedom. 00:16:28.32\00:16:30.69 In just 16 minutes this ultra- lite was used in a 00:16:30.72\00:16:35.82 daring mission by two brothers they flew into East Berlin 00:16:35.86\00:16:39.83 picked up another brother, and landed safely back 00:16:39.86\00:16:43.20 in the park near the Right Stock in West Berlin all completed 00:16:43.23\00:16:47.84 in just 16 minutes. 00:16:47.87\00:16:49.87 One night Hans Strillzik a former aircraft mechanic 00:16:49.90\00:16:54.21 was watching a TV program about the history of Hot Air 00:16:54.24\00:16:58.41 ballooning it gave him an idea, he long wanted to escape East 00:16:58.45\00:17:03.28 Germany and perhaps this could be the way. 00:17:03.32\00:17:06.02 So with his friend Gunter Wetzel they built a hot-air balloon 00:17:06.05\00:17:10.66 engine from four old propane cylinders. Their wives stitched 00:17:10.69\00:17:15.46 the balloon together out of pieces of old canvas and 00:17:15.50\00:17:18.30 bed sheets. Then on the 16th of September 1979 the two couples 00:17:18.33\00:17:24.14 and their four children floated over the border at 2,400 meters 00:17:24.17\00:17:29.71 they landed safely in Bavaria in West Germany. 00:17:29.74\00:17:33.72 The desire for freedom lies well-entrenched deep within 00:17:33.75\00:17:39.62 the human heart, thousands of citizens of East Germany 00:17:39.65\00:17:43.69 tried to escape across the Berlin Wall between 1961 and 00:17:43.73\00:17:49.90 1988. Only around 300 successfully escaped but sadly 00:17:49.93\00:17:55.90 more than 100 of them were shot and killed by the GDI Border 00:17:55.94\00:18:00.11 Guards or died in other ways during their escape attempt. 00:18:00.14\00:18:04.21 One summer's day on the 17th of August, 1962 00:18:04.25\00:18:09.32 a year after the construction of the Berlin Wall 18-year-old 00:18:09.35\00:18:13.79 Peter Fechter and his friend Helmut Kulbeik attempted 00:18:13.82\00:18:17.39 to flee from East Germany. They jumped out of a window 00:18:17.43\00:18:21.30 in Zimmerstrasse and on to the death-strip, the two young men 00:18:21.33\00:18:25.30 then raced across it and started to climb over the two meter wall 00:18:25.33\00:18:29.87 that was topped with barbed- wire into West Berlin 00:18:29.90\00:18:33.17 right near Checkpoint Charlie. 00:18:33.21\00:18:35.34 As they began to climb the wall, the East German border guards 00:18:35.38\00:18:40.25 fired at them, although Kulbeik succeeded in crossing over 00:18:40.28\00:18:44.35 the wall, Fetcher was shot in the pelvis. 00:18:44.39\00:18:47.89 Hundreds of witnesses watched helplessly as Fetcher fell 00:18:47.92\00:18:52.23 back into the death-strip on the East German side. 00:18:52.26\00:18:55.33 Despite his screams for help, Fetcher received no medical 00:18:55.36\00:19:00.30 assistance from the East German side and could not be 00:19:00.34\00:19:03.61 tended to by those on the west side. 00:19:03.64\00:19:06.14 Although the West German police threw him bandages, 00:19:06.17\00:19:09.54 he bled to death after approximately one hour. 00:19:09.58\00:19:13.92 At a memorial near the old border commemorates his death 00:19:13.95\00:19:18.99 and there are many others who lost their lives trying to 00:19:19.02\00:19:22.09 escape to freedom. Finally in 1989 the wall came down. 00:19:22.12\00:19:28.46 The fall of the Berlin Wall and its dismantling ended the 00:19:28.50\00:19:33.07 longest conflict of the 20th century, 00:19:33.10\00:19:35.70 it was a pivotal moment in the history of modern Europe. 00:19:35.74\00:19:39.77 On the 22nd of June, 1990 Check- point Charlie was dismantled. 00:19:39.81\00:19:45.81 Foreign ministers and military commandants from both 00:19:45.85\00:19:49.92 east and west watched as a crane-hoist transported the 00:19:49.95\00:19:54.32 infamous porta-cabin which had guarded the crossing point 00:19:54.36\00:19:57.59 for nearly three decades to the heart of what was the American 00:19:57.63\00:20:01.56 consector. The Cold War had come to an end in the lead-up 00:20:01.60\00:20:07.24 to the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. 00:20:07.27\00:20:10.74 Here in Kleighaleah is the 1998 sculpture called 00:20:10.77\00:20:16.04 The Day the Wall Came Down, it's a memorial to the time of 00:20:16.08\00:20:21.08 9th of November, 1989 when The Berlin Wall was neutralized. 00:20:21.12\00:20:26.65 The statue of the five wild horses jumping over actual 00:20:26.69\00:20:31.26 remains of the Wall is a symbol of freedom today. 00:20:31.29\00:20:35.96 The founder of Communism Karl Marx had a dream to liberate 00:20:36.00\00:20:40.67 millions and instead his writings and philosophy 00:20:40.70\00:20:44.44 were used to create an empire that for decades was one of the 00:20:44.47\00:20:49.18 greatest repressors of human freedom that the world 00:20:49.21\00:20:52.48 has ever seen, it was this empire that created the 00:20:52.51\00:20:57.25 despised Berlin Wall. 00:20:57.29\00:20:59.09 As the miles and miles of wall were going up 00:20:59.12\00:21:02.12 the Soviets and their East German government argued that 00:21:02.16\00:21:06.49 they weren't there to keep people in, no they said, 00:21:06.53\00:21:10.60 it's been created to keep spies out. Very logical except for 00:21:10.63\00:21:16.20 one thing, the communist guards at the wall, had their backs 00:21:16.24\00:21:20.34 to the west side while they were facing the east, 00:21:20.38\00:21:23.35 the communist side. Far from keeping spies out, 00:21:23.38\00:21:27.08 they were keeping their own people locked in. 00:21:27.12\00:21:30.55 Thousands of tons of concrete and steel were created 00:21:30.59\00:21:35.12 for only one purpose, to stifle the freedom of the millions 00:21:35.16\00:21:40.36 of people behind it, the wall was a symbol of oppression. 00:21:40.40\00:21:45.47 Then in late 1989 many of those people took their 00:21:45.50\00:21:50.37 sledge hammers and began smashing down the wall, 00:21:50.41\00:21:53.88 it was a powerful symbol for the desire for human freedom. 00:21:53.91\00:21:58.91 That desire for freedom was so great that despite the danger 00:21:58.95\00:22:04.65 many risked their lives to cross the wall, the lure of freedom 00:22:04.69\00:22:08.92 was so strong that thousands attempted to cross it. 00:22:08.96\00:22:12.46 Hundreds of others died seeking the kind of freedoms that 00:22:12.49\00:22:17.27 we so often take for granted. 00:22:17.30\00:22:21.50 There's a basic longing in the human heart for freedom, 00:22:21.54\00:22:26.17 we all want to be free and yet if history has taught us 00:22:26.21\00:22:30.48 anything it's that freedom isn't easy to come by. 00:22:30.51\00:22:34.85 Now in the context of this whole question of freedom, 00:22:34.88\00:22:39.25 I'd like to read a quote about freedom in the Bible Book 00:22:39.29\00:22:42.52 of John, Jesus said... 00:22:42.56\00:22:44.79 Now Jesus is talking about a different kind of freedom 00:22:50.03\00:22:55.07 a freedom independent of Politics, a freedom that 00:22:55.10\00:22:58.84 no government, whether a liberal Western Democracy 00:22:58.87\00:23:02.64 or a Communist Regime can give to anyone, 00:23:02.68\00:23:06.18 and even more importantly it's a freedom that no one can 00:23:06.21\00:23:11.55 take away either. 00:23:11.59\00:23:13.46 You see freedom is a big deal to God, God made us to be free 00:23:13.49\00:23:19.16 He wants us to live in freedom, He doesn't want us enslaved 00:23:19.19\00:23:23.40 to guilt or resentment or the pain of our past or 00:23:23.43\00:23:27.27 anything else, He wants us to live free. 00:23:27.30\00:23:30.74 Let me tell you something, the biggest prison was 00:23:30.77\00:23:35.38 not behind the Berlin Wall, the biggest prisons in life 00:23:35.41\00:23:39.55 aren't physical, they are the mental prisons in your mind. 00:23:39.58\00:23:43.72 Maybe it's a relationship you feel trapped in, 00:23:43.75\00:23:46.82 maybe it's debt that you can't escape, 00:23:46.86\00:23:49.76 maybe it's a habit you can't seem to shake, 00:23:49.79\00:23:52.56 or an addiction you can't break, 00:23:52.59\00:23:54.86 maybe it's a painful memory you can't forget, 00:23:54.90\00:23:58.13 no matter what kind of prison you are in, you need a way out 00:23:58.17\00:24:02.77 and Jesus is your doorway to freedom and life. 00:24:02.80\00:24:08.04 And you know what, we can have it right now, freedom and the 00:24:08.08\00:24:13.05 assurance of eternal life through what Jesus has done 00:24:13.08\00:24:16.72 for us. Remember though we were created free, 00:24:16.75\00:24:21.79 we've all sinned and made mistakes in that freedom 00:24:21.82\00:24:25.36 but the good news is that Jesus paid the penalty for those 00:24:25.39\00:24:29.50 sins and mistakes as so when we accept Him as our Saviour 00:24:29.53\00:24:33.54 we walk away free of guilt, free from condemnation, 00:24:33.57\00:24:37.94 free from the fear of eternal death. 00:24:37.97\00:24:41.31 Just as Checkpoint Charlie was the way to freedom 00:24:41.34\00:24:45.78 for many behind the wall, so Jesus is our Checkpoint 00:24:45.81\00:24:50.29 to freedom and the only way to forgiveness, grace, 00:24:50.32\00:24:53.96 peace, and the abundant life. 00:24:53.99\00:24:56.49 Many feel freedom is worth anything and Jesus was willing 00:24:56.52\00:25:01.66 to give everything for you. 00:25:01.70\00:25:03.97 He was willing to give everything so that you 00:25:04.00\00:25:07.60 can be free for eternity. 00:25:07.64\00:25:10.01 He opened the door to real freedom where we find release 00:25:10.04\00:25:14.34 from fear, condemnation, and the bitterness, anger, 00:25:14.38\00:25:19.11 loneliness, grief, addictions, hurts, and habits that 00:25:19.15\00:25:24.52 hold us back in life. He loved us so much our freedom was 00:25:24.55\00:25:29.82 worth His sacrifice on the cross 00:25:29.86\00:25:32.06 Jesus wants us to enjoy an experience and abundant life 00:25:32.09\00:25:37.40 and a life of freedom. 00:25:37.43\00:25:39.33 In the Gospel Book of John it says... 00:25:39.37\00:25:41.94 If you would like to experience the freedom that Jesus offers, 00:25:51.51\00:25:55.38 then I'd like to recommend the free gift we have for all our 00:25:55.42\00:25:59.55 Incredible Journey viewers today, it's the booklet 00:25:59.59\00:26:03.32 Freedom Worth the Sacrifice. This booklet is our gift to you 00:26:03.36\00:26:09.23 and is absolutely free, I guarantee there are no costs 00:26:09.26\00:26:13.47 or obligations whatsoever. 00:26:13.50\00:26:15.27 So, make the most of this wonderful opportunity to receive 00:26:15.30\00:26:19.54 your free gift today. 00:26:19.57\00:26:21.51 Phone or text 0436.333.555 in Australia or 020.422.2042 00:26:21.54\00:26:32.25 in New Zealand, or 770.800.0266 in the United States 00:26:32.29\00:26:39.03 or visit our website tij.tv or simply scan the QR Code 00:26:39.06\00:26:45.17 on your screen and we'll send you today's free offer 00:26:45.20\00:26:48.40 totally free of charge and with no obligation. 00:26:48.44\00:26:51.71 You can also write to us at GPO Box 274, Sydney NSW 00:26:51.74\00:26:57.41 2001, Australia or PO Box 76673 Manukau, Auckland 00:26:57.45\00:27:04.55 2241 New Zealand, or PO Box 888717 Atlanta, 00:27:04.59\00:27:11.03 Georgia 30356 USA. 00:27:11.06\00:27:14.20 You can also email us at info@tij.tv. 00:27:14.23\00:27:19.17 Don't delay, call or text us now. 00:27:19.20\00:27:22.30 If you've enjoyed your journey to Berlin's Checkpoint Charlie 00:27:22.34\00:27:28.48 the front line of the Cold War, and our reflections on the 00:27:28.51\00:27:31.91 human longing for freedom that only Jesus can provide, 00:27:31.95\00:27:35.92 then be sure to join us again next week when we will share 00:27:35.95\00:27:39.69 another of life's journey's together, until then let's pray 00:27:39.72\00:27:44.39 to the only one who can give us true freedom. 00:27:44.43\00:27:48.30 Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you for the freedom 00:27:48.33\00:27:52.60 you give us to choose life we all want to be free 00:27:52.63\00:27:56.47 but freedom isn't always easy. We want to claim your promise 00:27:56.50\00:28:01.64 that you can indeed make us free. 00:28:01.68\00:28:05.01 Help us now to choose You to choose that freedom that You 00:28:05.05\00:28:09.72 so graciously offer us. I ask this in Jesus' name. 00:28:09.75\00:28:13.62 Amen! 00:28:13.66\00:28:15.12