Piece Of Berlin Wall Coming To Reykjavík

Reykjavík will soon host a large piece of the original Berlin Wall, as a part of an international celebration marking 25 years since German reunification.

RÚV reports that Reykjavík City Council voted in favour of accepting a portion of the wall from the German arts centre Neu West Berlin, and it will likely be featured at Höfði, site of the famed 1986 summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. The wall portion measures 370 x 115 x 150, in centimetres, and weighs about four tonnes.

The art centre’s idea is to have the piece formally unveiled on October 3 of this year, which will mark 25 years since the reunification of Germany.

Already the logistics are underway. Icelandic shipping company Samskip has offered to transport the piece to Iceland for free. The total cost to the city for the project is estimated to be 1.5 million ISK.

Similar pieces of the Berlin Wall can be found throughout the world. Kingston, Jamaica is home to one portion, awarded to runner Usain Bolt in 2010. Another piece can be found at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, given to the ex-president in 1990.