“Eternal glory to heroes”. This inscription echoes at the Kriegsgefallenendenkmal 1941-1945. It’s a place of remembrance for Soviet soldiers. They fell in battle against German fascist invaders. Their fight was for the freedom of the Soviet Union. The memorial stands as a testament to their sacrifice.
The Kriegsgefallenendenkmal 1941-1945 is one of several war memorials in Berlin. The Soviet Union erected them. They commemorate their war dead. About 80000 soldiers died during the Battle of Berlin in April and May 1945.
Located in the Großer Tiergarten. It’s a large public park west of the city center. Find it on the north side of Straße des 17. Juni.
The memorial was erected in 1945. This was just months after the city’s capture. Early photos show it amidst ruins. The Tiergarten was destroyed by bombs. People stripped it of timber for firewood. Today, woodlands surround the Kriegsgefallenendenkmal 1941-1945.
It’s built from stonework. This stone came from the destroyed Reich Chancellery. The style mirrors other Soviet World War II monuments. These monuments were once all over the Eastern Bloc. The memorial features a curved stoa. A large statue of a Soviet soldier tops it. Landscaped gardens surround it. Two Red Army artillery pieces flank it. These are ML-20 152mm gun-howitzers. Two T-34 tanks also stand guard. An outdoor museum sits behind the Kriegsgefallenendenkmal 1941-1945. It shows construction photos. It also guides to other Berlin memorials.
The inscription translates to “Eternal glory to heroes”. They fell fighting German fascist invaders. This was for the Soviet Union’s freedom. The statue depicts a soldier. His arm stretches over 2000 soldiers’ graves.
Architect Mikhail Gorvits designed the Kriegsgefallenendenkmal 1941-1945. Sculptors Vladimir Tsigal and Lev Kerbel created the soldier monument.
The Kriegsgefallenendenkmal 1941-1945 remains a site of commemoration. Wreath-laying ceremonies happen on VE Day. This is May 8th. War veterans from former Soviet Union countries visit it. Tourists come too. It’s closer to the city center than the Treptower Park memorial. The City of Berlin maintains it.
A sign explains the burial site. It’s for over 2000 fallen Soviet soldiers. It stands on a major road. The Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate are visible. Marble from nearby buildings was used. Adolf Hitler planned Welthauptstadt Germania here. Columns list names of fallen Heroes of the Soviet Union.
It stood in the British sector. After 1961, it symbolized communist presence. British soldiers protected it. In 1970, a neo-Nazi shot a Soviet guard. In 2010, vandals wrote “thieves, murderers, rapists” on it. This sparked protests. In 2014, a petition wanted the tanks removed. The government refused. It honors a treaty to maintain Soviet war memorials.
The Kriegsgefallenendenkmal 1941-1945 embodies Berlin’s complex history. It marks loss and remembrance. It also shows the city’s commitment to honoring the past. As you reflect here consider the cost of conflict. Remember the soldiers’ sacrifices. They fought for a world free from fascism.