system, through which military or police units could reach the control portal quickly and secretly. The Western Allies kept control of their checkpoint on the western side, with small garrisons of French, British and American troops stationed in Helmstedt. The West German Bundesgrenzschutz had assumed control of the operative controls on the western side of the border crossing, where the buildings were notably smaller compared with Marienborn. The restrictive East German controls and the ever-increasing amount of traffic soon resulted in notable waiting times on the West German side. Therefore, the West German government added extensive car parks and rest areas on the autobahn approach to Helmstedt. Border controls were relaxed after the Wende during late 1989. The crossing was dismantled at midnight on June 30, 1990, exactly 45 years after its first opening. The former GDR buildings have been a listed building since October 1990, however the former GDR departures area was demolished when the road was expanded to six lanes. A rest stop with a motel has now been built on part of the old GDR control portal's area. Checkpoint Alpha The Helmstedt-Marienborn checkpoint was one of three checkpoints used by the Western Allies. Its western side (in the former British zone) was labeled Checkpoint Alpha, after the first letter of the NATO phonetic alphabet. The Allied side of the checkpoint for entry into West Berlin was named Checkpoint Bravo, and Checkpoint Charlie was the Allied checkpoint for entry into (and exit from) East Berlin. The nomenclature of "checkpoint", as opposed to the East German "Grenzübergangsstelle" (which literally means "border-crossing-place") was a result of the Western Allies not recognising the legitimacy of East Germany as a state. That changed in 1973, when the GDR was admitted to the United Nations, but the term remained in use. Division memorial On the grounds of the former East German border control buildings, the "Gedenkstätte Deutsche Teilung Marienborn" was opened on August 13, 1996. The memorial is operated by the state of Saxony-Anhalt and features exhibitions and guided tours. The memorial site is accessible via the nearby rest stop's exit and can only be explored on foot. The West German buildings near Helmstedt have either been demolished or are now used for other purposes. Further reading Hans-Jürgen Mielke: Die Autobahn Berlin-Helmstedt, Reimer-Verlag 1984, Friedrich Christian Delius and Peter Joachim Lapp, Transit Westberlin. Erlebnisse im Zwischenraum, Berlin: Ch.Links Verlag, 2000. Films Halt! Hier