Have you noticed how this Gefallenendenkmal stands silently? It commemorates the fallen soldiers of World War I and later, World War II. It is a place of reflection amidst the bustling city.
Originally, this area was a terraced garden in the 18th century. Kassel decided to transform it into a war memorial in 1920. The Kurhessische Kriegerbund, a veterans association, gathered 100,000 Mark in donations. The city added 50,000 Mark. Hans Sautter, the artist, even waived his fee.
The Gefallenendenkmal was officially inaugurated in 1928. However, even before that, political tensions arose. At the first dedication in 1926, right-wing conservatives used the event for their own purposes. The city council boycotted the ceremony in protest. Two years later, Mayor Herbert Stadler officially dedicated the memorial. This time, nationalists and communists stayed away.
The memorial features a sculpture by Hans Sautter. It depicts a naked young man wrapped in a blanket. He lies on his back staring at the sky. After the Nazis gained power in 1933, they criticized Sautter’s work. They said it resembled a morgue rather than brave patriots. Georg Blass, Sautter’s successor, even called Sautter a Marxist or pacifist. The sculpture was covered first with planks and then with stone slabs.
After World War II, there was debate about whether the Gefallenendenkmal should even exist. The Allied Control Council ordered the destruction of monuments glorifying German military tradition. It is unclear if Kassel attempted to follow this directive. In 1954, as preparations for the Bundesgartenschau began, the covering over the sculpture was removed. However, plans for easier access and new gates were halted due to threats from veterans associations.
In 1987, a plaque was added to honor those who refused military service during World War II. This was the first of its kind in Germany. The ceremony was boycotted by conservative parties and the Bundeswehr. They argued that desertion should not be accepted.
Over the years, many changes happened here at the Gefallenendenkmal. In 1992, artists Pina and Via Lewandowsky reinterpreted Hans Sautter’s sculpture during documenta 9. They created a wooden box with a wax figure inside. This was meant to symbolize the unreliability of human memory. Veterans associations saw this as desecration.
In 2003, the ownership of the memorial site transferred from the city to the state of Hesse. Today, the Gefallenendenkmal features numerous plaques. They commemorate military units and offer different perspectives on war and remembrance. The history here reflects changing attitudes toward war and its victims.
Remember Fritz Bauer’s words. He said that dealing with our past means judging ourselves and the dangerous factors in our history. The Gefallenendenkmal serves as a place to confront these difficult issues. It is a reminder of the complexities of war and remembrance. It stands as a silent witness to history.