Scandal in front of the memorial: NVA man threatens to return the dictatorship!

Scandal in front of the memorial: NVA man threatens to return the dictatorship!

On Sunday, June 3, 2025, an incident occurred at the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen memorial, which triggered great concern with those responsible. A man who was dressed in a uniform of the National People's Army (NVA) of the GDR drove up to the site of the former Stasi prison at Genslerstrasse 66 with an open trabant. The driver, who presented GDR insignia, threatened that the company at this place would soon be resumed. This incident was described by the memorial directorate as unacceptable.

memorial director Helge Heidemeyer commented on the situation and criticized the "glorification of the SED dictatorship" in a place that is dedicated to the victims of political persecution. Employees of the memorial pointed out to the driver that wearing GDR symbols was prohibited on the site. The man only left the site after the police were informed. The exact motives for his actions have so far been unclear.

the memorial and its importance

The Berlin-Hohenschönhausen memorial has existed since 2000 and has committed itself to dealing with the history of the former prison and the political judiciary of the GDR. This place used to be the detention of regime critics, including prominent personalities such as Rudolf Bahro, Jürgen Fuchs and Bärbel Bohley. Historically, the location is of great importance, since it emerged from the Soviet special warehouse No. 3, in which the writer Heinrich George Sein.

The incident with the uniformed man throws a light on the challenges and controversy with which memorials in Germany are faced. Responsibility for the memory work to the two German dictatorships and their victims has been a central political task since 1998. At that time, the second Enquete Commission to deal with the SED dictatorship found that memorials are of great relevance to the democratic culture of remembrance. Recommendations for promoting these places were derived to ensure that they stand for the various forms of persecution.

promotion of memorials

The federal government has been supporting memorials since 1999 that deal with the victims of war, Nazi violence and communist dictatorship. In addition, various programs to support memorials have been launched in recent years. In 2007, the Bundestag decided to build a freedom and unit monument in Berlin, which is due to remind you of the peaceful revolution of 1989. The 1999 memorial concept was continued in 2008, whereby the focus is on strengthening and deeper anchoring of the culture of remembrance in society.

These developments underline the importance of memorials as places of learning and dealing with one's own history. However, incidents such as the youngest in front of the Hohenschönhausen memorial show that it is still necessary to be vigilant and to actively promote dialogue through the past.

For more information, see rbb24 , Berliner Kurier and Wikipedia .