106 traffic mirrors on the Murellenberg in Berlin's Westend district commemorate those shot by Wehrmacht execution commandos. Between August 12, 1944, and April 14, 1945, Wehrmacht units executed at least 230 soldiers, who had been sentenced to death for desertion or for »undermining military strength«.
The area of the Murellenschlucht (Murellen-ravine), which comprises the Murellenberg and the Schanzewald, is a hilly landscape in the Westend part of Berlin's Wilmersdorf-Charlottenburg district. From 1840, the area was used by the Prussian army as a shooting range and for training.
Between August 12, 1944, and April 14, 1945, execution commandos of the Wehrmacht shot at least 230 soldiers on the Murellenberg. Prior to that the soldiers had been tried in special courts of the military justice, primarily before the Reichskriegsgericht (Reich War Court) and sentenced to death for desertion or for »undermining military strength«. The exact site of the executions can no longer be determined. Witnesses suggest that it could have been in the vicinity of the former storage shed in the military restricted area. Aerial views of the premises have shown that a nearby sand pit also comes into question.
Between August 12, 1944, and April 14, 1945, execution commandos of the Wehrmacht shot at least 230 soldiers on the Murellenberg. Prior to that the soldiers had been tried in special courts of the military justice, primarily before the Reichskriegsgericht (Reich War Court) and sentenced to death for desertion or for »undermining military strength«. The exact site of the executions can no longer be determined. Witnesses suggest that it could have been in the vicinity of the former storage shed in the military restricted area. Aerial views of the premises have shown that a nearby sand pit also comes into question.
About 230 victims of the executions on Murellenberg are known by name. It is likely that the number of victims is in fact much higher. Most of the victims were simple soldiers, though there were several officers and two generals amongst those shot.
After the war, the British army used the area as military drill grounds. A village for training house-to-house fighting was erected in the forest. Until the troops' withdrawal in 1994, the area was not accessible to the public. In the following years, a citizens' initiative formed with the aim of establishing a memorial to the victims of Nazi military justice on the site. However, large parts of the premises remained restricted as they were taken over by the police as drill grounds. In 2000, the Berlin Senate launched a competition for the creation of a memorial. The winning design was unveiled in 2002: »Memorial signs« by artist Patricia Pisani. It consists of 106 traffic mirrors which have been set up on the path leading to the supposed execution site. The presumed execution site itself is not accessible as it is part of the restricted police training grounds. Several mirrors have been engraved with quotes. A further traffic mirror is located in Witzlebenstraße 4-10 in Berlin-Charlottenburg in front of the former Reichskriegsgericht, where many of the death sentences for deserters were handed down.
Patricia Pisani explained her choice of using traffic mirrors for the memorial: »Traffic mirrors are to prevent danger by showing things that are outside of one's field of vision. They show what is happening around the corner, any danger or threat that may be lurking out of sight but cannot yet be seen. They show what cannot be seen from the current location: around the corner – into the past – into the future.«
Patricia Pisani explained her choice of using traffic mirrors for the memorial: »Traffic mirrors are to prevent danger by showing things that are outside of one's field of vision. They show what is happening around the corner, any danger or threat that may be lurking out of sight but cannot yet be seen. They show what cannot be seen from the current location: around the corner – into the past – into the future.«
- Name
- Denkzeichen zur Erinnerung an die Ermordeten der NS-Militärjustiz am Murellenberg
- Address
-
Glockenturmstraße
14053 Berlin - Web
- http://www.denkzeichen-am-murellenberg.de
- Open
- accessible at all times