The Soviet Memorial in the Volkspark Schönholzer Heide in the Berlin District of Pankow commemorates not only Soviet soldiers who died in the battle for Berlin but also those, who died as prisoners of war in German captivity.
Today's Volkspark Schönholzer Heide is a woodland park located in the borough Niederschönhausen in the Berlin District of Pankow. At the end of the 19th century it became a popular recreation area. From the middle of the 1930s a popular pleasure grounds named Lunapark was operated in the Schönholzer Heide.
During the Second World War the »Luna-Lager« (Luna camp) was established on the site of the Lunapark; it was Berlin's second biggest forced labour camp after the one in Schöneweide. The forced labourers who came mainly from Poland, France, Belgium, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union were deployed in surrounding factories, especially at the Deutschen Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken AG (weapons and ammunition factory), the Argus Motorenwerke (motor factory) and the Bergmann Elektrizitätswerke (electricity plant). The camp with its approximately 2,500 prisoners existed until its liberation by the Soviet army, who occupied Pankow on April 24, 1945 on their way to the city centre.
During the Second World War the »Luna-Lager« (Luna camp) was established on the site of the Lunapark; it was Berlin's second biggest forced labour camp after the one in Schöneweide. The forced labourers who came mainly from Poland, France, Belgium, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union were deployed in surrounding factories, especially at the Deutschen Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken AG (weapons and ammunition factory), the Argus Motorenwerke (motor factory) and the Bergmann Elektrizitätswerke (electricity plant). The camp with its approximately 2,500 prisoners existed until its liberation by the Soviet army, who occupied Pankow on April 24, 1945 on their way to the city centre.
About 80,000 Soviet soldiers fell during the battle of Berlin, while tens of thousands of civilians perished. Some hundred forced labourers of the Luna camp died while imprisoned.
From 1943 on civilians killed during allied air raids were buried in the Schönholzer Heide. Also forced labourers from the Luna camp who died in imprisonment were buried there. This enclosed and overgrown part of the park is today a »Memorial Grove to the Victims of War and Tyranny«. Remains of the former forced labour camp can still be seen.
In 1947 the Soviet occupation administration started to build the Soviet War Memorial in the northern part of the park. The memorial covering an area of 30,000 m² was dedicated in November 1949. 13,200 soldiers of the Red Army are buried here, far more than at the War Memorial Treptower Park, which is considerably more monumental in design. Only a fifth of the fallen soldiers could be identified, their names, birth dates and ranks are written on 100 bronze tablets. Principal element of the memorial is an obelisk with a statue of »Mother Russia« in front of it, mourning her dead son.
Behind the obelisk a memorial stone remembers the Soviet POWs who died in German camps. The German and Russian inscription reads »They were never subjugated by fascism and their love towards their home and their faith to their people was stronger than death«. It is unique that this group of victims is remembered on a postwar Soviet memorial, particularly as former POWs were generally regarded as traitors in the Soviet Union under Stalin. Quite often the survivors of the German camps were arrested after their return and deported to prison camps.
After the withdrawal of the Soviet troops from the territory of the former GDR Germany has been responsible for the preservation and maintenance of Soviet war graves. Between 2011 and 2013 the Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide was renovated at a cost of ten million Euros financed from federal funds.
In 1947 the Soviet occupation administration started to build the Soviet War Memorial in the northern part of the park. The memorial covering an area of 30,000 m² was dedicated in November 1949. 13,200 soldiers of the Red Army are buried here, far more than at the War Memorial Treptower Park, which is considerably more monumental in design. Only a fifth of the fallen soldiers could be identified, their names, birth dates and ranks are written on 100 bronze tablets. Principal element of the memorial is an obelisk with a statue of »Mother Russia« in front of it, mourning her dead son.
Behind the obelisk a memorial stone remembers the Soviet POWs who died in German camps. The German and Russian inscription reads »They were never subjugated by fascism and their love towards their home and their faith to their people was stronger than death«. It is unique that this group of victims is remembered on a postwar Soviet memorial, particularly as former POWs were generally regarded as traitors in the Soviet Union under Stalin. Quite often the survivors of the German camps were arrested after their return and deported to prison camps.
After the withdrawal of the Soviet troops from the territory of the former GDR Germany has been responsible for the preservation and maintenance of Soviet war graves. Between 2011 and 2013 the Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide was renovated at a cost of ten million Euros financed from federal funds.
- Name
- Sowjetisches Ehrenmal Schönholzer Heide
- Address
-
Germanenstraße
13156 Berlin - Web
- http://www.museum-karlshorst.de/
- kontakt@museum-karlshorst.de
- Open
- April to September 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., October to March 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.