Monument to the Polish soldier and German anti-fascist

The Monument to the Polish Soldier and German Antifascist (also Monument to the Polish Soldier and German Antifascist in World War II or Monument to the Polish Soldier and the German Antifascist) is a memorial and memorial in Volkspark Friedrichshain in the Berlin district of Friedrichshain in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district .

description

In 1965 the Association of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy for the GDR proposed in Berlin that a memorial should be erected for the Polish soldiers who fought in World War II . Two years later, the governments of the GDR and Poland agreed to dedicate the memorial not only to the Polish soldiers, but also to the German anti-fascists . The Polish government wanted the monument in East Berlin to be in front of the Brandenburg Gate on Pariser Platz . Those responsible in the GDR had planned the location in the Volkspark Friedrichshain. The design came from Arnd Wittig and Günther Mertel from the GDR and from Zofia Wołska and Tadeusz Łodziana from Poland. On May 15, 1972, Erich Honecker inaugurated the monument in the northern part of the Friedrichshain park.

Monument with the German-Polish inscription (Photo: 2006, left with the coat of arms of the GDR)

The monument complex consists of a high concrete column , which is surrounded by a waving bronze flag, and a relief with a German-Polish inscription : Za naszą i waszą wolność - For your and our freedom . In the lower part of the column there are reliefs with the national coats of arms of Poland and the GDR.

On the modified adjacent relief , a Red Army soldier , a Polish soldier and a German resistance fighter are shown in solidarity. At the very bottom of the monument there is a copper plaque with text in three languages: Polish , German and Russian . The German text reads: This monument, erected by the governments / of the People's Republic of Poland and the German / Democratic Republic on the anniversary of the / victory of the anti-Hitler coalition over / fascism, commemorates the armed / struggle of the Polish People's Army, which was on the / side of Soviet Army covered a glorious / battle path from Lenino to Berlin / and made a contribution to the liberation of / the peoples of Europe from fascism. / It perpetuates the deeds of the German anti-fascists / who, while defending the highest / moral values of their people / together / with their Soviet and Polish comrades /, led the fight against Hitler's / fascist / terror and thus the / fascist dictatorship's vision future / socialist German democratic / republic created. / Honor her memory!

In addition to the trilingual copper plates, two more copper plates have been added to the old plate on the left in Polish and on the right in German since September 1, 1995. The German text reads: This memorial was erected in 1972 by the / governments of both countries to honor / the then officially recognized heroes / in the fight against National Socialism /. / Today at this point we also think of / those who fought as soldiers of the army / of the Polish underground state, the / allied armed forces and the Polish / resistance movement / and who died as forced laborers, / prisoners and prisoners of war who were kidnapped and murdered / as well as all anti-fascists of the German / resistance who sacrificed their lives for the / liberation from National Socialism. / Berlin 1995

literature

Stefanie Endlich, Bernd Wurlitzer: Sculptures and monuments in Berlin . Stapp, Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-87776-034-1 , p. 236-237 .
Heinz Warnecke: The Volkspark Friedrichshain yesterday and today . History comm. The left. Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin 2015, p. 35-37 .

Web links

Commons : Monument to the Polish Soldier and German Antifascists - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

^ List, map, database / Landesdenkmalamt Berlin. Retrieved January 5, 2018 .
↑ ^a ^b memorial plaques in Berlin: memorial plaques in Berlin - memorial plaque display. Retrieved January 6, 2018 (German).
^ Memorial to the Polish soldier and the German anti-fascist: -> Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin district lexicon from AZ. Retrieved January 6, 2018 .

52.52875 13.43762Coordinates: 52 ° 31 ′ 43.5 " N , 13 ° 26 ′ 15.4" E

[1] List, map, database / Landesdenkmalamt Berlin. Retrieved January 5, 2018 .

[:0-2] rial plaques in Berlin: memorial plaques in Berlin - memorial plaque display. Retrieved January 6, 2018 (German).

[3] Memorial to the Polish soldier and the German anti-fascist: -> Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Berlin district lexicon from AZ. Retrieved January 6, 2018 .