On a crisp April morning in 1945, the rumble of tanks echoed through Brandenburg an der Havel. The Sowjetisches Ehrenmal War memorial stands as a stark reminder of this moment. The first Soviet troops arrived on April 24th, pushing towards the city from Lehnin. They faced fierce resistance near the train station from German forces. Reinforcements arrived from Nauen, and after intense fighting, the Red Army took control of the old city on April 30th. This was a full week before the Nazi regime’s official surrender. The Sowjetisches Ehrenmal War memorial commemorates the 255 Soviet soldiers who fell during these battles. They were initially buried in individual and mass graves around the city. By October 1945, at least 681 Soviet soldiers were laid to rest in Brandenburg an der Havel. The memorial itself was inaugurated in 1945. A 10-meter obelisk dominates the site. It is surrounded by four bronze figures. These represent an infantryman, an artilleryman, a pilot, and a tank driver of the Red Army. Interestingly, Professor Threyne, the sculptor who later created the monument on the Marienberg, was also involved in the creation of this memorial. On May 20, 1949, the Soviet Military Administration transferred responsibility for the memorial and cemetery to the city. Annual commemorations were held here every May 8th until 1989. In 2003, the city undertook a restoration of the memorial, ensuring that the Sowjetisches Ehrenmal War memorial continues to stand as a tribute to the fallen soldiers.
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