Secretary of State John Kerry will host the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Joachim Gauck at a ceremony to commemorate the arrival of a segment of the Berlin Wall at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7, in the Benjamin Franklin Room at the Department of State. The wall will be displayed in the US Diplomacy Center (USDC).

This unique segment of the Wall features the signatures of individuals who played key roles in ending the Cold War and solidifying the transatlantic relationship, including former US President George H. W. Bush, German President Joachim Gauck, former leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, former Polish President and Solidarity leader Lech Walesa, current German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and former US Secretary of State James A. Baker III.

The Wall Segment’s installation at the USDC was made possible with the support of the Atlantic Council and through an agreement with the German company Verbundnetz Gas. It will serve as a permanent reminder of the indispensable role the transatlantic relationship plays in promoting peace, prosperity, and mutual understanding.

A state-of-the-art museum and education center scheduled to open in 2017, the US Diplomacy Center (diplomacy.state.gov) will tell the story of American diplomacy and invite visitors to explore the impact of diplomacy on their lives. Find more here: Fact sheet; education programs; design/construction.

This event is open to the press and streamed live on www.state.gov. Follow @StateDeptLive and @DiplomacyCenter, and find the history of the signature segment of the Berlin Wall on Twitter at #beyondBerlinWall and #USDCBerlinWall.