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Delay in rescue: Unexplained deaths on the A10 are reminiscent of forced labor
Investigations into unrecovered forced laborer remains on the A10 in Ludwigsfelde are delayed; Responsibility remains unclear.
Delay in rescue: Unexplained deaths on the A10 are reminiscent of forced labor
There are currently explosive developments to report in Ludwigsfelde, not far from the A10 motorway. The investigations into a former forced labor cemetery are not progressing as hoped. Around three months after human bones were recovered, the recovery of the dead from the Second World War remains in jeopardy. The salvage process is made more difficult by the wood stored on the site, which severely hinders the investigations MAZ reported.
What is in storage gives food for thought: The suspected grave sites contain the remains of at least two other dead people who were discovered during forestry work in July 2023. It is believed that these remains come from forced laborers who worked for Daimler Benz between 1942 and 1945. The bones could therefore indicate a lack of a dignified burial, as Marlene Pardeller from the Ludwigsfelde Forced Labor Working Group explains. The city administration was informed of the finds on July 21, 2025, and the Brandenburg Ministry of the Interior is offering support.
Unclear future of salvage
The number of dead buried at the site remains uncertain. Members of the working group are calling on the city and state to fulfill their responsibility and set up a dignified burial site. “There must be no premature reburials on existing war cemeteries,” says Stefan Gerbing. If the evidence is confirmed, this burial site could receive protected war cemetery status under the Geneva Conventions. This means that the city of Ludwigsfelde is legally obliged to take measures to create and maintain such a gravesite, such as the one Website of the Ludwigsfelde forced labor working group notes.
As early as 2022, the MAZ reported on major inconsistencies in the clearance of the cemetery. Seven coffins were ordered for the reburial of the 19 women who were reported found, although some of the dead who had already been dug up will be reburied on site. Kevin Senft, press spokesman for the city, explains that “the review is not yet complete” and there are currently no new facts. The district is also unable to provide any information about what will happen next, which makes the situation even more worrying.
What happens next remains to be seen. However, many citizens and the relatives of the deceased forced laborers remain hopeful for a timely solution. It takes a good hand from those responsible to finally do justice to this painful story and show the deceased the respect they deserve.