1,000 to Watch Reagan Receive Part of Berlin Wall

Former President Ronald Reagan will be presented with a three-ton section of the Berlin Wall at a formal ceremony this morning at the site of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library near Simi Valley.

About 1,000 invited guests are expected to attend the presentation, which is scheduled to begin shortly before 11 a.m. The library site is off Madera Road in the Wood Ranch Parkway area between Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. The $43-million facility is still under construction.

An East German organization is presenting the 3 1/2-foot-wide by 10-foot-tall section of the wall to Reagan for his “unwavering dedication to democracy and freedom over communism throughout his two terms as president,” according to a statement issued by Reagan’s office.

Reagan is scheduled to speak following the presentation, said Cathy Goldberg, a Reagan spokeswoman.

Among those attending the ceremony will be Leopold Siefker, a representative from the West German consulate in Los Angeles, and Norbert Reemer, a representative from the East German consulate in Washington, Goldberg said. Both representatives will make brief comments, she said.

Simi Valley, Ventura County and state officials will also attend. Simi Valley city and Chamber of Commerce officials said they had received and distributed nearly 500 tickets for the event.

The wall section, which was donated by the Berlin Wall Commemorative Group, was delivered to the library Tuesday. It will be included among the facility’s permanent displays and exhibits.

“It’s covered with art, not graffiti,” Goldberg said.

The general public will not be able to see the wall until the library’s scheduled opening on Feb. 6, 1991, Reagan’s 80th birthday.