Point Alpha Memorial Place of German Unity

Point Alpha keeps the memory of the Cold War alive
For a Europe in Peace and Freedom

After the defeat at the end of World War II, Germany became a divided nation during the Cold War. 
The Cold War was a period of armed peace between the communist and capitalist worlds in the second half of the 20th century.
The capitalist Western block was led by the United States (US). The communists were primarily led by the Soviet Union (USSR).
This lasted for Germany from 1949 to 1990. From the once nationalistic Germany, two countries were created: the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (GDR). 

Point Alpha Memorial Platz der Deutschen Einheit includes the former American base as well as partially original, partially reconstructed border guard facilities including a border tower on the East German side.

The historic American base Point Alpha is an authentic Cold War site and a unique testament to four decades of contemporary history.
Until 1990, NATO and Warsaw Pact outposts faced each other here. The former Observation Post Alpha, abbreviated: Point Alpha, was one of the most important observation bases of the American forces in Europe during the Cold War.
Point Alpha Memorial Platz der Deutschen Einheit presents this piece of German-German history in a visible, tangible, and comprehensible way: the confrontation between the two power blocks, the construction of the border installations with their security elements, as well as military processes and life on and with the border from the perspective of the population.

In the early 1950s, Base Point Alpha was established in the NATO defense line Fulda Gap against the Warsaw Pact. 
The Fulda Gap (German: Fulda-Lücke) was located in the middle of the NATO defense line and was considered by NATO planners as one of the four possible access routes of the Warsaw Pact to the Federal Republic of Germany. Therefore, this base was particularly suitable for observing the opponent on the other side of the border and for eavesdropping on radio messages.
Due to its geostrategic location, the Fulda Gap was of particular importance. Here, where the Eastern Bloc extended furthest west, attackers could have advanced to the Rhine in just 48 hours and neutralized the key positions of the US V Corps. The Fulda Gap could thus have become one of the first battlefields of World War III.
A red line for the current cafeteria, Black Horse Inn, in the American base marks the point that, in case of war, tanks of the American army were allowed to drive to this point.

To provide a realistic and balanced representation of the circumstances on the eastern side of the inner-German border that would also be understandable for later generations, the House on the Border was eventually built on the former patrol road.

Visitors can take an impressive walk around the entire 1,000 m² site, from the monument between the protected American observation base on the Hesse side and the Thuringian House on the Border that reflects the historical development of the inner-German border in its geopolitical dimension. 
In the Hesse section of the monument, you will learn all about the lives of American soldiers at the hottest point of the Cold War and their commitment to peace and freedom.
On the Thuringian side, you will explore the history of the former German inner border through the following themes: The state border of the GDR during the Cold War, Freedoms! and From the death strip to the lifeline. 
There is also space for temporary and traveling exhibitions.

On the Path of Hope along the former death strip, 14 sculptures based on the Stations of the Cross symbolize the nonviolent resistance against the communist dictatorships of Central and Eastern Europe.