I went to East Berlin in 1962 on a tour with my mom when my dad was stationed in London. I was 15 and man did it leave a lasting impression on me. We crossed at Checkpoint Charlie. I still have a map that I had laminated to preserve it showing Berlin at the time. Some folks have no clue as to how bad it was. My uncle bombed it and then flew supplies in after the war during the Berlin Air Lift.
"Some of the East German police were rude and suspicious, others were suspicious and rude." - One, Two, Three
Reminds me of a joke1 A US airliner was lost at Frankfort Airport. They asked the tower for directions to their gate. The tower was miffed that they could not find their own way. The pilot responded that the last time he was in the area he was flying a piston-engined aircraft, he didn’t land and it was dark!