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Memorial to the persecuted and murdered Jehovah’s Witnesses under National Socialism

Numerous guests sit in rows of chairs on an outdoor wooden platform in sunny weather, some protecting themselves with parasols and hats. They look toward the stage under a dark canopy, where a speaker stands at a lectern. To the right, a tree-shaped bronze sculpture several meters high rises among the trees.
President of the Bundestag Julia Klöckner speaks at the ceremony for the dedication of the memorial to the public. To the right of the image is the approximately five-meter-high bronze sculpture in the shape of a tree by artist Matthias Leeck, Berlin Tiergarten, June 24, 2026. Photo: Peter Maciol.

Memorial for Persecuted Jehovah’s Witnesses Formally Dedicated

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The finished memorial in the form of a tall, gleaming golden tree trunk stands in a clearing in Berlin's Tiergarten; in the background are trees and the high-rise buildings on Potsdamer Platz.
The memorial near the goldfish pond, with the high-rise buildings on Potsdamer Platz in the background. The memorial site is still fenced in - it will be handed over to the public on June 24, 2026. Photo: Peter Maciol

The Memorial Stands: Bronze Sculpture Erected in Tiergarten for the Persecuted Jehovah’s Witnesses

An important milestone has been reached in Berlin’s Tiergarten: on Thursday, May 28, 2026, the memorial to the Jehovah’s Witnesses persecuted and murdered under National Socialism was erected near the Goldfischteich (Goldfish Pond). After months of work, the bronze sculpture, which is almost five meters high and weighs around twelve

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General view of the construction site of the memorial to the Jehovah's Witnesses persecuted and murdered under National Socialism in Berlin's Tiergarten. In the foreground the construction site banner on the site fence, behind it the open area with earthworks and construction vehicles. The buildings on Potsdamer Platz can be seen on the horizon. The trees of the Tiergarten can be seen in the background on the right.
View of the construction site near the goldfish pond in the Großer Tiergarten. The Gestapo carried out an arrest operation against Jehovah's Witnesses at this historically significant site on August 22, 1936, April 2026. Photo: Christoph Wilker.

Construction work has begun on the memorial for persecuted Jehovah’s Witnesses

History is currently coming to life in Berlin’s Tiergarten: Construction work on the memorial to the Jehovah’s Witnesses persecuted and murdered under National Socialism has begun on schedule. The memorial, which the German Bundestag decided to erect on June 22, 2023, is being built near the Goldfischteich. The construction site

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Artist Matthias Leeck and Uwe Langhals from the Arnold Liebster Foundation look at a segment of the memorial to the persecuted Jehovah's Witnesses in a metal factory in Wermelskirchen. The bronze-colored sculpture has a heavily fissured surface structure.
Matthias Leeck (left) and Uwe Langhals look at the first segment of the memorial to the Jehovah's Witnesses persecuted under National Socialism. The scars in the bronze-colored surface tell of the suffering of the victims. Photo: Manuel Schmid.

A Bronze Tree: the Memorial for the Persecuted Jehovah’s Witnesses Takes Shape

History is currently being milled in a metalworking shop in Wermelskirchen, Germany – literally. The memorial to Jehovah’s Witnesses persecuted and murdered under National Socialism, which is to be formally dedicated in Berlin’s Tiergarten park on June 24, 2026, is being built there. It is a special moment for Matthias

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Three-dimensional view of the closed book, standing at a slight angle on a beige surface with a gray background.
Mock-up of the planned book. Cover picture: Goldfish pond in Berlin's Tiergarten around 1930, © Austrian Archives/brandstaetter images/picturedesk.com

Remembering History in Berlin—New Publication on the Memorial’s Dedication

Forthcoming publication Mahnmal für die im Nationalsozialismus verfolgten und ermordeten Zeugen Jehovas – Dokumentation der Geschichte eines Gedenkprojekts Scheduled for publication in fall 2026 Hardcover, 650 pages More than 200 images, maps, and foldout maps Comprehensive indexes, statistics, and chronologies Their resistance put their lives at risk because it challenged

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Six historical black and white photographs of men in suits from the 1930s/40s, arranged like a collage on a dark grid background. The slightly skewed portraits show Bible Students (Jehovah's Witnesses) who were persecuted during National Socialism. Among the people depicted are Kurt Liebold, Gerhard Liebold and a member of the Kusserow family.
Bibelforscher – unglaublicher Mut © Ständige Konferenz der NS-Gedenkorte im Berliner Raum, Berlin 2026

Short film “Bible Students – Incredible Courage” documents the persecution and resistance of Jehovah’s Witnesses

NEW: This video now includes English subtitles. Click the CC icon in the YouTube player to enable them. With the decision of the German Bundestag on June 22, 2023, to erect a memorial to the Jehovah’s Witnesses who were persecuted and murdered under National Socialism, the question of how the

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Virtual 3D model of the planned memorial for the Jehovah's Witnesses persecuted and murdered under National Socialism: a slender, light-colored stone column with a faceted, organically shaped surface stands in an open clearing surrounded by deciduous trees. A white figure as a scale reference illustrates the height of the memorial of around four to five meters. Image synthesis by Matthias Leeck, 2026.
Virtual model of the memorial to the Jehovah's Witnesses persecuted and murdered under National Socialism, Matthias Leeck, image synthesis, 2026

Memorial for Persecuted Jehovah’s Witnesses to Be Formally Dedicated on June 24, 2026

Update – April 2026: Die Bauarbeiten am Mahnmal im Berliner Tiergarten haben begonnen. Informationen zum Baufortschritt und zur Anmeldung für den Festakt am 24. Juni 2026 finden Sie in unserem aktuellen Beitrag. After 15 years of intensive efforts, the memorial to the Jehovah’s Witnesses persecuted and murdered under National Socialism

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Photo of Deliana Rademakers. Copyright Jehovas Zeugen in Deutschland, K. d. ö. R.
Photo of Deliana Rademakers. Copyright Jehovas Zeugen in Deutschland, K. d. ö. R.

Memorial to persecuted and murdered Jehovah’s Witnesses receives unanimous vote

On June 22, 2023, the German Bundestag unanimously approved the erection of a memorial to Jehovah’s Witnesses persecuted and murdered under National Socialism. The memorial is to be erected in Berlin’s Tiergarten, near the Goldfish Pond, by the Foundation Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It will consist of

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Liberation of imprisoned Jehovah's Witnesses from Mauthausen concentration camp (Jehovah's Witnesses archive)
Liberation of imprisoned Jehovah's Witnesses from Mauthausen concentration camp (Jehovah's Witnesses archive)

Hearing on planned memorial to Jehovah’s Witnesses murdered under National Socialism

On Monday, May 22, 2023, at 11 a.m., the Ausschuss für Kultur und Medien considered the application for a memorial to Jehovah’s Witnesses persecuted and murdered under National Socialism. The session can be accessed in the Bundestag media center. More information: https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2023/kw21-pa-kultur-mahnmal-949012 https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/geschichte-berlin-parlamentarier-wollen-mahnmal-fuer-zeugen-jehovas-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-230511-99-655570

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