Remember this stone. This is the memorial for the victims of Nazi military justice in Leipzig. It stands quietly in the Leipzig East Cemetery. This unassuming stone tells a story of unimaginable suffering. Twenty-six Wehrmacht deserters are buried here. Most were civilians condemned by the Nazi military justice system. Simple wooden crosses marked their graves in 1946. Time and neglect caused them to rot. Then in 1998 a new memorial stone was erected. This was thanks to groups like the Committee for Justice and the Peace Center. The executions mostly took place in the Halle prison called the Red Ox. Some were also carried out at the Bienitz shooting range. Seventy-eight executed soldiers have been identified by name. Even the fuel shortage played a role. When transporting prisoners became difficult executions happened at the Olbricht Barracks. Today this memorial is a part of Leipzig’s remembrance of liberation from the Nazi regime. The city also placed a memorial stone at the Bienitz shooting range. Six soldiers buried here are named. There is Fritz Pfotenhauer shot in 1939. Then Friederich Műnnich who died by suicide in 1940. Hermann Wegener shot in 1941. Ernst Müller shot in 1940. Heinrich Bőwes shot in 1940. Finally there is Johannes Lewandowski shot in 1944. Each stone each name whispers a story of courage and despair. Remember their sacrifice. Remember the Opfer der nationalsozialistischen Militärjustiz.
water tower Markkleeberg
From its perch overlooking Markkleeberg this water tower silently guards the town’s history. The Markkleeberg water tower stands tall a