The Soviet War Memorial in Tiergarten is third largest in Berlin and uniquely the only Soviet memorial not located in the former Soviet sector, for a very specific reason
The bronze statue of the Red Army soldier towering over the Soviet War Memorial in Tiergarten stands guard over a mass grave containing the remains of more than 2,000 soldiers, who rest beneath his outstretched arm.
The soldiers were part of the 80,000 fallen Red Army troops who fought in the Battle of Berlin, bringing World War II in Europe to an end.
The memorial in Tiergarten is one of many in Berlin. While not the largest, it is the only Soviet War Memorial located outside the former Soviet sector. There is a specific reason for that.
Photo by Chrissie Sternschnuppe@Flickr. CC BY-SA.
Hitler and his architect Albert Speer wanted to make Berlin the world capital and had a plan for how to design the city.
As part of the plan, an avenue was to be constructed from Tempelhof Airport through the Tiergarten, adorned with monuments. This included a triumphal arch, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The avenue was planned to be named Siegesallee des III. Reiches, or Victory Avenue of the Third Reich. Had it been constructed, it would have sliced through the Tiergarten precisely where the Soviet War Memorial was erected in 1945.
So when the memorial with more than 2,000 fallen Soviet soldiers is placed there, it is a sarcastic mockery of Hitler. Those who ultimately defeated Hitler are buried where Hitler wanted his victory avenue with a huge triumphal arch.
And there’s more to the mockery. It is said that the monument is built with the marble from the New Reich Chancellery, Hitler’s official residence.
Photo by Chrissie Sternschnuppe@Flickr. CC BY-SA.
Because the monument was in the British area, Soviet guards could reach it easily. Every day, they sent guards to the monument to honor their fallen soldiers. They did this even during the coldest time of the Cold War after the Berlin Wall divided the city.
There was no border crossing between East and West Berlin near the monument, giving the Soviet guards the perfect opportunity to take a long detour through the British sector of West Berlin and spy on the British occupation at close range.
They were able to do so with the blessing of the Western Bloc solely because of the mockery of Hitler that the four occupying powers jointly agreed to in 1945 when they built the Soviet War Memorial in Tiergarten.
Where:
Straße des 17. Juni
Tiergarten, Berlin
Family friendly: Yes
Price: Free
