Observation Post Alpha, Cold War memorial in Rasdorf, Germany

Observation Post Alpha is a Cold War memorial near the border between Hesse and Thuringia. The site includes two exhibition buildings, reconstructed border fences with a watchtower, and preserved military barracks spread across a large open area.

The site was handed to the US Army in 1965; a wooden observation tower followed in 1968, replaced by a steel tower in 1982 and the present concrete tower in 1985. The 14th Armored Cavalry Regiment manned it first, and the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment took over in 1972. The US Army withdrew in 1991, and after a citizens' initiative the camp was placed under monument protection in 1995.

The name Point Alpha comes from its being the first observation point built; it is often confused with Checkpoint Alpha at Helmstedt/Marienborn. Since 1991 a yearly Last Border Patrol ceremony is held, with cadets from the U.S. defense department's Wiesbaden high school exchanging the American flag and discussing with pupils from Hesse and Thuringia. A 1,400-metre Way of Hope with 14 Stations of the Cross by sculptor Ulrich Barnickel runs along parts of the former Kolonnenweg.

The grounds are open year-round and offer ample parking near the entrance. Paths between exhibition buildings and along the former border are mostly paved but can be uneven in places.

The American watchtower foundations rest on concrete blocks that stood further west than the actual border line. Soldiers could look into East German territory from West German soil without crossing the frontier themselves.