Point Alpha

About

After World War II, when the USSR gained control of East Germany, allied forces set up a string of observation points as an early warning system in case of Soviet aggression. As tensions grew over the years, so too did the military buildup at Point Alpha. The thousands of soldiers and armored vehicles stationed here were also equipped with tactical nuclear weapons, including ‘nuclear landmines’, which likely would have been utilized in the event of an offensive. Point Alpha remained active up until 1991. Today, the former observation post is a museum to what could have been Ground Zero for World War III. The NATO side of the border houses an exhibition on the presence of U.S. forces, including several military vehicles. One the former East German side, visitors can see the border protection systems of East Germany, including an exhibit on the inner German border.