“No hope of return.” These chilling words come from Wasyl Kudrenko’s diary, a former inmate at the Protestant Church’s forced labor camp here in Neukölln. We are standing at the Ausstellung Zwangsarbeiter des kirchlichen Friedhofslagers Berlin 1942 – 1945. It serves as a stark reminder of a dark chapter in Berlin’s history.
From 1942 to 1945, a consortium of 39 Protestant and 3 Catholic churches jointly operated a camp in Berlin-Neukölln. Its purpose was to organize forced labor in church cemeteries. These churches formed an “Arbeitsgemeinschaft für die ausländischen Arbeiter auf Berliner Friedhöfen”. This translates to “Working Group for Foreign Workers in Berlin Cemeteries”.
Many of the camp’s residents were minors. They were deported from Wehrmacht-occupied territories of the former Soviet Union. These young individuals endured appalling conditions. They were forced to work across the city until the Soviet Army liberated them.
Interestingly, most survivors interviewed after the war were unaware that the Church ran the camp. The location on Hermannstrasse was intentionally chosen. It was far from the cemetery entrance. This was to protect the cemetery’s dignity.
Imagine the scene. Two rows of barracks stood within a barbed wire fence. The barracks were painted with green camouflage. This was to shield them from air raids and obscure them from passersby.
Around one hundred “Eastern workers” or “Ostarbeiter” were imprisoned here. They came primarily from Ukraine and Russia. Each worker had a living space of approximately 3.5 square meters. This was significantly less than the 10 square meters allocated to a German worker.
Every day, these prisoners were dispatched to dig graves in cemeteries throughout the city. The “Eastern workers” wore a patch with the inscription “Ost” meaning “East”. It distinguished them from other workers. They received pay for their labor. However, deductions for living expenses left them with less than a quarter of what German workers earned.
Air raids struck the cemetery barracks several times. In April 1944, the team barracks burned to the ground. Although rebuilt six months later, bombing raids completely destroyed the camp in early 1945. During the war’s final weeks, relentless Allied bombing disrupted food supplies. Prisoners seized opportunities to escape during air raids. They sought refuge in subway stations, basements and sewers. The Red Army finally liberated the Neukölln labor camp in April 1945.
Fifty-five years later, in 2000, the Church began to address its wartime past. Thirty-nine Protestant and three Catholic churches acknowledged their involvement in these labor camps in Berlin. During the 1990s, amid public debate about compensation for forced laborers, the Protestant Church publicly accepted responsibility for its injustices.
Since 2000, reconciliation efforts have taken place at the former forced accommodation site. This acknowledges the injustice for which the Church was responsible. The Generalsuperintendentur Berlin leads this effort. The involved church communities and the Landeskirchliches Archiv participate. A permanent exhibition was developed with much voluntary work. An annual memorial service is also held. Archaeological excavations in 2013, 2014 and 2018 uncovered important findings. The site is being developed into a memorial.
Today, the Ausstellung Zwangsarbeiter des kirchlichen Friedhofslagers Berlin 1942 – 1945 stands here. It features the stories of ten former forced laborers from Russia and Ukraine. It serves as a vital reminder of the past. It also promotes reflection and reconciliation. Take a moment to reflect on the resilience of the human spirit. Consider the importance of remembering history to prevent such atrocities from happening again.