Berlin Wall - Rapid City, South Dakota
Posted by: 
oiseau_ca
N 44° 05.164 W 103° 13.665
13T E 641883 N 4882959
two sections of the Berlin Wall located in the Rapid City's Memorial Park (South Dakota) USA
Waymark Code: WMMHFR
Location: South Dakota, United States
Date Posted: 09/22/2014
Views: 20
These two 12 feet (4 meters) segments of the original Berlin Wall and some WWII tank traps, accompanied by interpretative placards are located in the Rapid City's Memorial Park (South Dakota) USA.
Purchased by an area resident and donated to the city in 1996, these Berlin Wall sections are part of one of the most unique displays of its kind. There are only about 40 locations in the U.S where original sections of the wall are displayed.
According to Wikipedia, "the Berlin Wall (German: Berliner Mauer) was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, which circumscribed a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defenses. The Eastern Bloc claimed that the wall was erected to protect its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the "will of the people" in building a socialist state in East Germany. In practice, the Wall served to prevent the massive emigration and defection that marked East Germany and the communist Eastern Bloc during the post-World War II period".
"The date on which the Wall fell is considered to have been 9 November 1989, but the Wall in its entirety was not torn down immediately. Starting that evening and in the days and weeks that followed, people came to the wall with sledgehammers or otherwise hammers and chisels to chip off souvenirs, demolishing lengthy parts of it in the process and creating several unofficial border crossings. These people were nicknamed "Mauerspechte" (wall woodpeckers)".
"On 13 June 1990, the official dismantling of the Wall by the East German military began in Bernauer Straße and somehow around the Mitte district. It thus spread throughout the Berlin area through Prenzlauer Berg/Gesundbrunnen, Helligensee and throughout the city of Berlin which had been ended in December 1990. The dismantling of the Berlin/Brandenburg border wall also ended in November 1991 by various military units. Every road that has been affected by Berlin Wall without border crossings and no-through road sections (that links from West Berlin to East Berlin) were reconstructed and reopened by 1 August 1990".
Source: Wikipedia
Rapid City is the second-largest city in the State of South Dakota, and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek on which the city is established, it is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills mountain range. The population was 67,956 as of the 2010 Census. Rapid City is known as the "Gateway to the Black Hills" and the "City of Presidents". The city is split by a low mountain ridge that divides the western and eastern parts of the city. Ellsworth Air Force Base is located on the outskirts of the city. Camp Rapid, a part of the United States Army National Guard, is located in the western part of the city. The historic "Old West" town of Deadwood is nearby. In the neighboring Black Hills are the popular tourist attractions of Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, and Wind Cave National Park.
Source: Wikipedia
Type: Remnant
Fee: no
Hours:
Park hours
Related URL: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Original photographs showing additional views of the Ruin/Remnant or even just its current condition are encouraged. Please describe your visit, especially if no additional photos are available. Did you like the Ruin or Remnant? What prompted you to see the Ruin or Remnant?