Protest against Lenin monument: Schwerin commemorates the victim of tyranny
Protest against Lenin monument: Schwerin commemorates the victim of tyranny
In Schwerin, about three dozen representatives of victim associations took part in a protest against the Lenin monument on June 14, 2025. The aim of the rally was to reject the public honor of people of the tyranny - in particular the former Soviet state leader. Burkhard Bley, the state representative for the processing of the SED dictatorship, referred to Lenin's connection to the "red terror" and recalled the 35,000 German civilians who were politically persecuted in the Soviet occupation zone and the early GDR. On this topic, he announced a conference for the end of September in Schwerin, such as [n-tv.de] (https://www.n-tv.de/regionales/mecklenburg-vorpommern/protestaction- against-lenin-denkal-in--article25834388.html).
Stefan Krikowski, the chairman of the Workuta camp community, expressed sharp criticism of holding on to the monument and demanded its dismantling. In his statements, he suggested that at this point to build a monument to Arno Esch, which was sentenced to death by a Soviet military tribunal in 1950. A depressing balance: Between 1950 and 1953, over 100 death sentences by Soviet military tribunals took place in Schwerin. The campaign reminded of these victims by reading their names.
Lenin monument as a controversial symbol
The Lenin monument, which was built in 1985 on the then Leninallee, now Hamburger Allee, is always the subject of violent debates. In the past it has been sprayed with color several times. Despite these events, the city of Schwerin decided not to reduce the statue. Instead, it is now accompanied by an explanatory table. This table is intended to illuminate the history and the associated controversy.
In addition to the protest, a hiking exhibition entitled "Walls-Gille-Stacheligraht" was opened in the documentation center for dictatorship victims, which was set up on the site of the former Stasi examination of the Hard. This exhibition illuminates the political persecution in the Soviet occupation zone and the GDR and offers a deep insight into the fate of many people.The other view: Defense of the monument
Regardless of the protests, there are also voices that work for the preservation of the Lenin monument. The "Union of the victim associations of Communist tyranny e.V." (Uogk) at the same time planned an action to cover the monument. She demands: "Way away with the Lenin statue! No public honors for criminals!". In an article by [rf-news.de] (https://www.rf-news.de/2025/fuer-en- and-die-verlägge-des-Lenin-Demal) it is mentioned that the Uogk also addresses current political developments in Germany, in particular the rise of the AfD and a growing fascist danger.
The article also emphasizes the historical achievements of the Lenin government, which, in the opinion of the advocates, are still relevant, such as the termination of the First World War, the right to self-determination of the peoples and the introduction of an eight-hour working day. As a result, a call to defend the monument and the formation of an anti -fascist unit front is issued.
The fact that the Lenin monument represents such a controversial symbol not only indicates the deep wounds in German history, but also shows how the relevance of the past exists until today. It remains to be seen which ways the memory and memorial culture will take here.
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| Ort | Schwerin, Deutschland |
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