The German government has announced a competition for a central monument to the victims of communism

Berlin - The German government today announced an international competition for the artistic design of the central memorial to the victims of the communist dictatorship. The site will be located in a park in the center of Berlin, not far from the buildings of the Bundestag and the Chancellery.

"More than three decades after the end of the SED dictatorship, a place will be created that will remind us of the people persecuted, deprived of rights, imprisoned, or murdered by the communist dictatorship in Germany," stated the German government in a press release. According to them, the memorial aims to commemorate the injustices and suffering of the victims, while also honoring the courage of those who resisted the regime.

After World War II, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was established in the territory of the Soviet occupation zone, governed by the Socialist Unity Party (SED). The communists remained in power until 1989. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the GDR reunified with the Federal Republic of Germany, which was formed in the territory of the American, British, and French occupation zones after the war.

In the center of the German capital, near the Brandenburg Gate, there has been a memorial since 2005 commemorating the six million European Jews murdered during the Nazi regime in the 30s and 40s of the last century. In the nearby Tiergarten park, there are also memorials remembering the persecution and murder of homosexuals, Roma and Sinti, as well as the mentally and physically disabled. A special memorial also commemorates the division of the capital by the Berlin Wall and its victims. However, a central place to remember the victims of the communist dictatorship in the GDR from 1949 to 1989 has so far been lacking. According to state minister of culture Wolfram Weimer, building it will fill a "gap in the landscape of remembrance."

The establishment of a memorial to the victims of communism was decided by the German government back in 2019. The year before last, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government stated that they had found a site and budget for it. The memorial will stand in Spreebogenpark, located between the Chancellery building, the German Bundestag, and the main train station. Five million euros (122.2 million CZK) are available for it.

Artists, architects, and landscape architects can apply for the competition until April 22. A committee will select 25 teams from the applications, inviting them to Berlin in the summer to develop their concepts. The winner of the competition will be chosen this November. Construction of the memorial is expected to start next year and be completed in 2028.

Many countries from the former Eastern Bloc already have their own memorials dedicated to the victims of communist regimes, including Bulgaria, Romania, and the Czech Republic. For example, in Prague, there is a Memorial to the Victims of Communism, created by sculptor Olbram Zoubek, located since 2002 on Újezd at the foot of Petřín Hill. Memorials can also be found in Liberec and Uherské Hradiště.