Peering through the entrance of the Don-Bosco-Zentrum. Before us lies the Gedenkstätte Zwangslager Berlin-Marzahn. This memorial marks a site of immense suffering. From 1936 to 1945, this area housed a Nazi forced labor camp for Sinti and Roma.
To understand the Gedenkstätte Zwangslager Berlin-Marzahn, we must travel back to 1936. Berlin prepared to host the Olympic Games. The Nazi regime sought to present a pristine image to the world. They aimed to cleanse the city of elements they deemed undesirable.
The authorities began arresting Sinti and Roma people living in Berlin and the surrounding areas. On July 16, 1936, the nightmare began. The police imprisoned them in the newly established Zwangslager Marzahn. The Nazis cloaked their actions in deceptive language. They claimed the camp served to protect the Sinti and Roma. They also said that they wanted to guard against moral dangers, especially for youth. The reality was far more sinister.
The police rounded up all people registered as “gypsies” or “gypsy bastards”. These human beings were incarcerated. Later many were murdered in extermination camps like Auschwitz. The Gedenkstätte Zwangslager Berlin-Marzahn stands as a stark reminder.
Otto Rosenberg survived the Zwangslager. The Otto-Rosenberg-Platz is named in his honor. He later became a chairman of the Cinti-Union. Today it is the State Association of German Sinti and Roma Berlin-Brandenburg e.V..
In September 1986, a memorial stone was erected. It stood on the adjacent Parkfriedhof. Bruno Schottstädt and Reimar Gilsenbach initiated it. Jürgen Raue was the artist.
In 1990, a white marble slab was added. Otto Rosenberg himself commissioned it. Götz Dorl created a bronze plaque in 1991. It provided further information about the Nazi forced labor camp. Since 1990, a memorial event has been held every June.
In 2007, a street and a square were named after Otto Rosenberg. This Gedenkstätte Zwangslager Berlin-Marzahn emerged in 2011. The State Association initiated it. The Mayor of Berlin and the district of Marzahn-Hellersdorf supported it.
Ten exhibition panels detail the camp’s history. They illuminate the fates of those interned here. The victims’ biographies take center stage. This Gedenkstätte Zwangslager Berlin-Marzahn serves as a vital place of remembrance. It ensures that the stories of the persecuted are never forgotten.
The Gedenkstätte Zwangslager Berlin-Marzahn is supported by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe. In 2025, there was a commemoration for the 80th anniversary. This marked the liberation of Auschwitz. Politicians, union members, survivors, and neighbors gathered. Petra Rosenberg, Otto’s daughter, emphasized the relevance of remembrance. Stefan Suck called for vigilance and thoughtful decisions. Oliver Friederici laid flowers at the memorial. P. Simon Härting offered a prayer for a hopeful future.
The Gedenkstätte Zwangslager Berlin-Marzahn ensures we never forget the past. It calls us to build a future free from hatred and discrimination.