Hermann Duncker Statue

Sculpted in bronze, Hermann Duncker stands here, a larger-than-life figure. The Hermann Duncker Statue captures him in a lecturing pose, a book clutched in his left hand. This monument isn’t just a statue. It’s a tribute to a complex figure, a man who dedicated his life to the socialist and communist movements in Germany. Hermann Duncker, born in 1874, was a key player in the tumultuous political landscape of 20th-century Germany. He helped establish the Spartacus League, contributing to the fiery Spartacus Letters. He also co-founded the Communist Party of Germany in 1918. Duncker’s influence extended beyond political organizing. He penned essential communist texts like “The Elementary Books of Communism” and “The Small Lenin Library.” He also re-edited the works of Marx and Engels, ensuring their continued relevance. The statue’s sculptor, Walter Howard, had a personal connection to Duncker. They met in Brandenburg prison, where Duncker was incarcerated by the Nazis in 1933. Following his release, Duncker went into exile, spending years in Denmark, Great Britain, France, Morocco, and the USA before returning to Germany in 1947. Upon his return, Duncker immediately joined the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED). He became a professor and dean in Rostock. Later, he directed the “Fritz Heckert” trade union college in Bernau. The Hermann Duncker Statue wasn’t Howard’s first portrayal of the communist leader. Initially, Howard created a smaller statuette of Duncker. It depicted him standing, though in reality, Duncker needed a cane for support by that time. This smaller piece was so well-received that the Free German Trade Union Federation commissioned the larger-than-life monument we see today. The Hermann Duncker Statue was unveiled in 1976. It originally stood on Hermann-Duncker-Straße, later renamed Treskowallee. The statue’s presence here serves as a reminder of Duncker’s lasting legacy on German political thought and the labor movement. He left an indelible mark on the landscape of German history.