Consider the courage etched in bronze before you. This is the Anton Saefkow Bust. It stands as a testament to a man’s unwavering spirit. Anton Saefkow resisted the Nazi regime.
The Anton Saefkow Bust commemorates a German Communist. He was a resistance fighter against the Nazis. Saefkow’s life was tragically cut short. He was executed by guillotine on September 18, 1944.
Anton Saefkow was born in Berlin on July 22, 1903. He came from a socialist working-class family. In 1920, he joined the Young Communist League of Germany. By 1922, he ascended to its Berlin leadership.
In 1927, Saefkow became secretary of the Communist Party of Germany in Berlin. He then held the same position in Dresden. From 1929 to 1932, he led the Revolutionary Trade Union Opposition in the KPD Ruhr district. In 1932, he became the KPD’s political leader in Hamburg.
The Nazis imprisoned Anton Saefkow from April 1933 to April 1934. He was held in a concentration camp. Following this, he spent two and a half years at hard labor. He was then transferred to Dachau concentration camp.
Even within the confines of Dachau, Anton Saefkow organized resistance. He arranged an illegal remembrance service for Edgar André. This act resulted in an additional two years of imprisonment.
Released in July 1939, Anton Saefkow returned to underground political work. In Berlin, after the attack on the Soviet Union in 1941, he established the largest KPD resistance group. It was called the “Operative Leadership of the KPD”.
In 1944, Anton Saefkow, Bernhard Bästlein and Franz Jacob led the Saefkow-Jacob-Bästlein Organization. This group agitated against the war in Berlin munitions plants. They urged people to commit sabotage.
The Social Democrat Adolf Reichwein contacted Anton Saefkow in April 1944. He sought to involve the KPD group in the 20 July Plot. This plot aimed to assassinate Adolf Hitler.
Arrested in July 1944, Anton Saefkow faced the “People’s Court”. He was sentenced to death on September 5. On September 18, he was executed at Brandenburg-Görden Prison.
Shortly before his execution, Anton Saefkow wrote a poignant letter to his wife Änne. He thanked her for the greatness she brought into his life. He affirmed his courage and commitment to doing good.
This Anton Saefkow Bust reminds us of his sacrifice. It also honors his unwavering dedication to justice. It serves as a reminder of the cost of freedom. It stands as a symbol of resistance against oppression. The bust echoes Saefkow’s powerful words. They are etched in stone: “Not forgotten, beaten down, but not refuted”. His legacy lives on.