New location for comfort women statue: dispute breaks out over place of remembrance!

New location for comfort women statue: dispute breaks out over place of remembrance!

In the heart of Berlin, the Mitte district is planning to relocate the Peace Statue, which commemorates the so-called “comfort women” – the women who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Loud daily news A tenants' cooperative has offered to provide a new, publicly accessible area on Unionstrasse, which is only around 100 meters from the previously used location.

The bronze sculpture, which was erected in Moabit in 2020, symbolizes the countless women who had to experience inhumane treatment during the war. According to historians, the number of women affected is estimated at around 200,000, with most of the victims being of Korean descent. The statue not only has historical value, but also embodies the fight against sexual violence in times of crisis and is seen by many as a symbol of hope, as stated on the website of the Korea Association is to be read.

Legal dispute over the statue

The planned dismantling of the statue is controversial and has already led to a legal dispute. The Korea Association tried to legally block the project after the district office rejected permanent approval for the statue in August 2024. The district has requested that the statue be removed by Oct. 31, 2024, which has been met with opposition. In order to stop immediate enforcement, an urgent application was submitted in April 2025, which was granted toleration until September 28, 2025. In this context, the administrative court criticized the district's unclear practice for approving art in public spaces and considered what future regulations could look like.

The Statue of Peace continues to have meaning for many, especially because it makes the voices of survivors heard again. Ms. Kim Hak-Soon was the first to speak publicly about her experiences in 1991, initiating the Wednesday demonstrations in front of the Japanese embassy. To this day, these protests bring the memory of the perpetrators and the pain of the survivors into public consciousness.

A strong symbol of peace

The artistic design of the statue, which comes from the artists Kim Seo-Kyung and Kim Eun-Sung, impressively deals with the topic. The girl on the statue is wearing a hanbok and is therefore a symbol of the reality of many of the kidnapped girls and women, who were often separated from their families in their teens. Accompanied by an empty chair that encourages reflection and a bird that represents peace, the plight of women is vividly portrayed. The shadow of an old woman behind the statue also symbolizes the passage of time and the urgent need for recognition and justice for the women who can no longer speak.

The understated depiction of the barefoot girl, conveying a sense of loss and discomfort, is part of a larger narrative about sexual violence in war. This topic, although only extensively researched in the last few decades, shows the continued relevance of memory work and the fight against violence against women during conflicts, as in Wikipedia is outlined in detail. The reference to the numerous sexual assaults during the Second World War underlines how important it is to tell the stories of these women and not let them be forgotten.

Whether the Peace Statue will actually lose its current place in Moabit remains to be seen, but the disputes surrounding its preservation carry an important message of respect and remembrance in society.