Who was Karl Heinrich? At the northwest corner of the Karl-Heinrich-Brücke, a red sandstone memorial holds the answer. This bridge, the Karl-Heinrich-Brücke, isn’t just a crossing over water. It’s a tribute to a man who stood against tyranny, a man named Karl Heinrich. He was a police inspector in the Weimar Republic, leading the Linden Police Inspection. After the Preußenschlag in 1932, the unlawful removal of the Prussian government, he was forced into retirement. Heinrich, a leader in the Reichsbanner, a paramilitary organization defending the Weimar Republic, didn’t back down. His activism against the Nazi regime led to his arrest in 1936. He was sentenced to seven years in prison by the Volksgerichtshof in 1937. He endured years of hardship in prisons and concentration camps. Then, a glimmer of hope. In May 1945, the Soviet occupying forces appointed him commander of the newly established Berlin Schutzpolizei. Tragically, this hope was short-lived. He was arrested again on August 2nd, 1945, without explanation. Just months later, on November 3rd, 1945, Karl Heinrich died in the Soviet special camp Hohenschönhausen. The official cause of death: “paralysis of vital organs.” His body was buried in nearby carbide lime pits. This red sandstone memorial at the Karl-Heinrich-Brücke stands as a silent testament to his courage and his tragic fate. He fought against Hitler, only to perish in Soviet custody. His story, etched in stone here at the Karl-Heinrich-Brücke, reminds us of the complex and often brutal realities of 20th-century history.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to