“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” The Berlin Wall in DC.
“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” Quote from a speech by President Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate about the Berlin Wall in West Berlin, Germany, June 12, 1987.
You can examine a piece of Cold War history - a 3-foot wide by 9-foot tall portion of the Berlin Wall just blocks from The National Mall in Washington. This “Iron Curtin” icon is on permanent display at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in the Federal Triangle area of Washington DC.
The Berlin Wall was initially conceived in 1961 by the Chairman of the Council of State of East Germany, Walter Ulbricht, and later approved by Soviet Chairman Nikita Khrushchev. The mission of the wall was to stop the daily migration of workers from East to West Berlin, as well as to stop ongoing defections to the free (West) side. The Berlin Wall was quickly erected and spanned 28 miles. Initially constructed of only barbed wire, it was later replaced by a concrete wall.
It was an exceptionally effective barrier to escape. In the 12 years prior to the building of the wall, emigration out of East Berlin averaged around 200,000 per year. After its construction, the flow averaged less than 150 people per year, most through escape. An estimated 200 people were killed while attempting to escape to the West. The last, just six months before the fall of the wall.
For 28 years the Berlin Wall separated the people of East and West Berlin. It was also a symbol of Communist tyranny, as well as representing the struggle between the free world and the Soviets during the Cold War. It was dismantled starting in November of 1989 after the fall of the East German government.
The piece was donated in part by the citizens of Berlin in appreciation of President Regan’s leadership which helped play a role in German reunification.
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004
Main building line: 202-312-1300
Hours
The display is located in a public area of the building which is open to the public 24-hours a day.
Nearest Metro subway station
Federal Triangle station - Orange and Blue lines. The station is connected to the Reagan Building by a covered walkway. The Metro Center station (Red line) is a two block walk.
Phots credits: Checkpoint Charlie - Flickr, all others: Wikipedia
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POSTED IN: Attractions, Just a Bit Weird - Fun & Quirky Places
1 opinion for “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” The Berlin Wall in DC.
A Piece of the Berlin Wall
Aug 13, 2007 at 9:45 pm
[…] a piece of the Berlin Wall on display at the Ronald Reagan Building. Click here for more […]
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