Protest against Lenin monument: Schwerin remembers the victims of tyranny

Protest against Lenin monument: Schwerin remembers the victims of tyranny

In Schwerin on June 14, 2025, around three dozen representatives of victims' associations took part in a protest against the Lenin monument. The aim of the rally was to reject public honoring of people from the tyranny, especially the former Soviet leader. Burkhard Bley, the state representative for coming to terms with 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. He announced a conference on this topic in Schwerin at the end of September, as reported by n-tv.de.

Stefan Krikowski, the chairman of the Vorkuta camp community, expressed sharp criticism of the preservation of the monument and called for it to be dismantled. In his remarks, he suggested building a monument to Arno Esch, who was sentenced to death by a Soviet military tribunal in 1950. A depressing result: Between 1950 and 1953, over 100 death sentences were carried out by Soviet military tribunals in Schwerin. The event commemorated these victims by reading out their names.

Lenin monument as a controversial symbol

The Lenin monument, which was erected in 1985 on what was then Leninallee, now Hamburger Allee, is always the subject of heated debate. It has been sprayed with paint several times in the past. Despite these events, the city of Schwerin decided not to dismantle the statue. Instead, it is now accompanied by an explanatory board. This plaque is intended to shed light on the history and the controversies surrounding it.

In addition to the protest, a traveling exhibition entitled “Walls – Grids – Barbed Wire” was opened in the Documentation Center for Dictatorship Victims, which was set up on the site of the former Stasi pre-trial detention center. This exhibition sheds light on 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

Despite the protests, there are also voices campaigning for the preservation of the Lenin monument. The “Union of Victims’ Associations of Communist Tyranny e.V.” (UOGK) was simultaneously planning an action to cover the monument. She demands: "Away with the Lenin statue! No public honors for criminals!" An article from rf-news.de mentions that the UOGK also addresses current political developments in Germany, in particular the rise of the AfD and a growing fascist threat.

The article also highlights the historical achievements of Lenin's government that advocates say are still relevant, such as the end of the First World War, the right to self-determination of peoples and the introduction of an eight-hour working day. As a result, a call is issued to defend the monument and form an anti-fascist united front.

The fact that the Lenin monument is such a controversial symbol not only points to the deep wounds in German history, but also shows how the relevance of the past continues to this day. It remains to be seen which path the culture of remembrance and commemoration will take here.