The Memorial to Polish Soldiers and German Anti-Fascists (German: Denkmal des polnischen Soldaten und deutschen Antifaschisten; Polish: Pomnik żołnierza polskiego i niemieckiego antyfaszysty) is a war memorial in Berlin, dedicated in 1972. Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. A war memorial is a building monument statue or other edifice to celebrate a War or victory or (predominating in modern times to commemorate those who died or were injured Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Built by the German Democratic Republic during the division of Germany, it is today the principal German monument to the Polish soldiers who died in World War II, as well as an important monument to the German resistance. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state The Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer was a physical barrier separating West Berlin from the German Democratic Republic (GDR ( East Germany) including Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The German Resistance refers to those individuals and groups in Nazi Germany who opposed the regime of Adolf Hitler between 1933 and 1945
The monument is located in Volkspark Friedrichshain, in the borough of Friedrichshain in former East Berlin. Friedrichshain is a part of Berlin's borough of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. East Berlin was the name given to the eastern part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990 It was conceived at a time of improving relations between East Germany and Poland as a monument to the cooperation between the communist Polish People's Army and German communists in the struggle against Nazism. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic ( Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL Russian Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Ludowe Wojsko Polskie (Pronounced 'vɔjskɔ 'pɔlskʲe}} lit Peoples' Army of Poland, LWP was the second formation of the Polish Armed Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The monument of gray Silesian granite[1] was designed by the Polish sculptors Zofia Wolska and Tadeusz Łodzian and the Germans Arnd Wittig and Günther Merkel. Etymology One theory claims that the name Silesia is derived from the Silingi, who were most likely a Vandalic (East Germanic people Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. Its centerpiece is a pair of parallel 15-meter stone columns (which are actually a single structure) united by a bronze flag. The monument area is in the foot of a hill, and is set off with a wall bearing the motto of Tadeusz Kościuszko, "For your freedom and ours," in Polish (Za waszą i naszą wolność) and German (Für eure und unsere Freiheit), and a relief showing figures of a Polish and Red Army soldier together with a German resistance fighter. Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko (; 1746 &ndash 1817 was a Polish and American national hero and general For our freedom and yours (Za naszą i waszą wolność is one of the Unofficial mottos of Poland. Polish ( język polski, polszczyzna) is the Official language of Poland. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya Below the columns is the dedicatory plaque, in Polish, German, and Russian, where wreath-laying ceremonies take place. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages A wreath is a ring made of Flowers leaves and sometimes Fruits that can be used as an ornament hanging on a wall or door or resting
The monument was rededicated in 1995 following German reunification to include non-communist Polish soldiers and victims of the Nazis, as well as all German resistance movements, and plaques in Polish and German were added explaining this. German reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung took place twice after 1945 first in 1957 the Saarland was permitted to join the Federal Republic of Germany A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups dedicated to fighting an Invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign nation The monument was left otherwise unchanged, and the columns still bear the communist-era coat of arms of the People's Republic of Poland and the coat of arms of East Germany. The White Eagle (Orzeł Biały is the national Coat of arms of Poland. The People's Republic of Poland or Polish People's Republic ( Polish: Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL Russian The Coat of Arms of the German Democratic Republic featured a Hammer and a compass, surrounded by a ring of Rye.
In recent years, concern mounted as to the amount of vandalism and graffiti inflicted on the monument. Vandalism is the behaviour attributed to the Vandals in respect of Culture: ruthless Destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or Venerable Graffiti (singular graffito; the plural is used as a Mass noun) is the name for images or lettering scratched scrawled painted or marked in any manner on property In 2004, a German company agreed to sponsor the maintenance of the monument. [2] In 2005, the memorial was defaced with neo-Nazi slogans. The term neo-Nazism refers to post- World War II Political movements Social movements and ideologies seeking to revive Nazism, [3]
The monument is, however, still frequently used as a place for skateboarding, causing further damage. [4]
See also
- Soviet War Memorial (Treptower Park)
- Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
- Polish Secret State
- Polish contribution to World War II
- Red Orchestra
External links
- Berlin.de article on Volkspark Friedrichshain and the monument
- Short article describing the monument (in German)
- News article in Polish describing 2006 wreathlaying ceremony
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