The Bendlerblock is a building in Berlin, located in the Stauffenbergstraße (originally named 'Bendlerstrasse'), south of the Tiergarten. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. TiergartenViewjpg|thumb|right|View within the Tiergarten]] Tiergarten ( German for Animal Garden) is the name of both a large Park in the It was erected between 1911 and 1914 for the Reich Navy Office. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification During the Weimar Republic it additionally served as the seat of the Reichswehr Command. The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 The Reichswehr ( German for "National Defence" formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935 when it was Today, the building complex serves as secondary office of the German Federal Ministry of Defence, and is a major memorial place for the July 20 plot against Adolf Hitler. The Federal Ministry of Defence ( Bundesministerium der Verteidigung) is a ministry in the German Cabinet.
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Origin of the name
Stauffenbergstraße was originally named Bendlerstraße from 1837 until July 20, 1955, the year West Germany's army, the Bundeswehr was established. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( The Bundeswehr ( German for "Federal Defence Force") is the name of the unified Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany Bendlerstraße bears the name of Johann Christoph Bendler (* 1789; † 1873), Chief Mason and member of the Berlin city council, hence the name Bendlerblock.
History
Execution site, 1944
Under the leadership of the Infantry General Friedrich Olbricht, the center of the military resistance was formed in the Bendlerblock. Friedrich Olbricht ( 4 October 1888 &ndash 21 July 1944) was a German General and one of the plotters involved in It was here that Olbricht developed the "Valkyrie" operation plan into a plan for a coup d'état against Hitler. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately In October 1943 Colonel Stauffenberg was transferred to the General Army Office as Chief of Staff. Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg ( 15 November 1907 &ndash 21 July 1944) was a German army officer His position gave him direct access to situation briefings in Hitler's headquarters, the "Wolf's Lair. " On July 20, 1944 he set the fuse of a bomb there and returned to Berlin.
The bomb went off, but Hitler survived. When news of Hitler's survival spread, the conspirators were unable to take control of Germany. Following the arrest of the conspirators in the Bendlerblock, General Olbricht, Graf von Stauffenberg, Werner von Haeften and Albrecht Ritter Mertz von Quirnheim, all members of the uprising, were executed that same night in the courtyard of the building, by firing squad. Werner Karl von Haeften ( 9 October 1908 - 21 July 1944) was an Oberleutnant in the Wehrmacht, who took part in the military-based Albrecht Ritter Mertz von Quirnheim ( A fifth plotter, Generaloberst Ludwig Beck, was offered to shoot himself. After failing two times, he was shot by a sergeant.
Battle of Berlin, 1945
During the Battle of Berlin in late April early May 1945, General Helmuth Weidling, commander of the Berlin Defense Area, used the Bendlerblock as his headquarters before he surrendered to the Soviets at 06:00 hours on May 2. For the bombing campaign on Berlin by the RAF from November 1943 to March 1944 see Battle of Berlin (air. Helmuth Otto Ludwig Weidling ( 2 November 1891 &ndash 17 November 1955) was an officer in the German Army ( Wehrmacht Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. [1]
Post-war era
The section of the Bendlerblock around the courtyard where Stauffenberg and the other conspirators were executed now houses the Memorial to the German Resistance. The Memorial to the German Resistance (Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand is a memorial and museum in Berlin, capital of Germany. It is also used as one of the ceremonial sites where new members of the Bundeswehr (German military) take their oaths. The Bundeswehr ( German for "Federal Defence Force") is the name of the unified Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany
Use in filming
The Ministry tends to restrict access to the Bendlerblock due to its historical significance and lingering sensitivities about Germany's role in World War II. Filming permission was granted to a movie studio in 2003, but the Ministry of Defence was displeased with the result. Nevertheless, in September 2007, after officials met with director Bryan Singer and his staff, the Ministry hesitated to grant permission for scenes of the Tom Cruise movie Valkyrie, about the July 20 Plot, to be filmed there, due to Tom Cruise's status as a Scientology member. Bryan Singer (born September 17, 1965) is an American Film director and Film producer. Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( born July 3 1962 better known by his screen name Tom Cruise, is an American Actor and Film producer Valkyrie is a 2008 historical thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and starring Tom Cruise.
External links
References
- ^ Beevor, Berlin: The Downfall 1945, Penguin Books, 2002, ISBN 0-670-88695-5 pp. 358,388
- German Ministry of Defence
- German Wikipedia
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