Gedenkanlage für die gefallenen Kämpfer gegen den Kapp-Putsch Statue

Amidst the bustling energy of Berlin, a silent sentinel stands. The Gedenkanlage für die gefallenen Kämpfer gegen den Kapp-Putsch, a granite boulder etched with bronze letters, remembers a pivotal moment in German history. This memorial, dedicated on March 19, 1977, commemorates the workers of the Berlin-Köpenick district who lost their lives resisting the Kapp Putsch in March 1920. The Gedenkanlage für die gefallenen Kämpfer gegen den Kapp-Putsch serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of democracy. The Kapp Putsch, a right-wing coup attempt from March 13th to 17th, 1920, aimed to overthrow the Weimar Republic. Led by General Walther von Lüttwitz and Wolfgang Kapp, the putschists sought to dismantle the democratic government and establish a military dictatorship. The Gedenkanlage für die gefallenen Kämpfer gegen den Kapp-Putsch honors those who stood against this threat. The putsch unfolded against the backdrop of post-World War I Germany. The Treaty of Versailles mandated a reduction in the German army. Reactionary Freikorps, fearing their own dismissal, joined forces with Lüttwitz to overturn the republic they despised. The Marinebrigade Ehrhardt, adorned with black, white, and red flags and white swastikas on their helmets, occupied Berlin’s government district. Kapp declared himself chancellor, and the legitimate government fled. The Gedenkanlage für die gefallenen Kämpfer gegen den Kapp-Putsch reminds us of the resistance that arose. Trade unions, under the banner “On to the General Strike,” mobilized workers to resist the coup. Civil servants joined the strike, crippling the putschists’ ability to govern. Within four days, the putsch collapsed. Kapp resigned on March 17th. The Gedenkanlage für die gefallenen Kämpfer gegen den Kapp-Putsch specifically remembers the workers who fought back. Otto Pfeiffer is recorded as a leader of the resistance in Grünau. Paul Seelisch, a 37-year-old from Grünau, fell during the fighting in Adlershof on March 19, 1920. His sacrifice, along with others, underscores the cost of defending democracy. The Gedenkanlage für die gefallenen Kämpfer gegen den Kapp-Putsch stands as a testament to their courage.