{"id":17597,"date":"2026-06-24T19:29:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T19:29:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alst.org\/uncategorized\/memorial-for-persecuted-jehovahs-witnesses-dedicated-to-the-public\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T18:07:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T18:07:58","slug":"memorial-for-persecuted-jehovahs-witnesses-formally-dedicated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/news\/memorial-for-persecuted-jehovahs-witnesses-formally-dedicated\/","title":{"rendered":"Memorial for Persecuted Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses Formally Dedicated"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"borlabs-youtube-embed borlabs-youtube-embed--beitrag\">\n  <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-container brlbs-cmpnt-content-blocker brlbs-cmpnt-with-individual-styles\" data-borlabs-cookie-content-blocker-id=\"youtube-content-blocker\" data-borlabs-cookie-content=\"PGlmcmFtZSBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUtbm9jb29raWUuY29tL2VtYmVkL1NtT0tSaEU5YldFIiB0aXRsZT0iWW91VHViZSB2aWRlbyBwbGF5ZXIgZm9yIHRoZSBtZW1vcmlhbOKAmXMgb2ZmaWNpYWwgZGVkaWNhdGlvbiBjZXJlbW9ueSIgYWxsb3c9ImFjY2VsZXJvbWV0ZXI7IGF1dG9wbGF5OyBjbGlwYm9hcmQtd3JpdGU7IGVuY3J5cHRlZC1tZWRpYTsgZ3lyb3Njb3BlOyBwaWN0dXJlLWluLXBpY3R1cmU7IHdlYi1zaGFyZSIgcmVmZXJyZXJwb2xpY3k9InN0cmljdC1vcmlnaW4td2hlbi1jcm9zcy1vcmlnaW4iIGFsbG93ZnVsbHNjcmVlbj48L2lmcmFtZT4=\">\n    <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-preset-c brlbs-cmpnt-cb-youtube\">\n      <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-thumbnail\" style=\"background-image: url('')\"><\/div>\n      <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-main\">\n        <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-play-button\"><\/div>\n        <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-content\">\n          <p class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-description\">You are currently viewing placeholder content from YouTube. If you load the content, a connection will be established with YouTube\/Google. Personal data, such as your IP address, may be transmitted to Google Ireland Limited, YouTube\u2019s provider, and cookies or similar technologies may be used. You may withdraw your consent at any time in the privacy settings.<\/p>\n          <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-provider-toggle\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-show-provider-information role=\"button\">More information<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-buttons\">\n          <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-unblock role=\"button\">Load this YouTube content<\/a>\n          <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-accept-service role=\"button\" style=\"display: inherit\">Allow all YouTube content on this website<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<style>\n  .borlabs-youtube-embed--beitrag {\n    position: relative;\n    width: 100%;\n    aspect-ratio: 16 \/ 9;\n    margin-bottom: 24px;\n    overflow: hidden;\n    background: #000;\n  }\n\n  .borlabs-youtube-embed--beitrag > iframe,\n  .borlabs-youtube-embed--beitrag > .brlbs-cmpnt-content-blocker {\n    position: absolute !important;\n    inset: 0 !important;\n    width: 100% !important;\n    height: 100% !important;\n    border: 0;\n  }\n\n  .borlabs-youtube-embed--beitrag\n    > .brlbs-cmpnt-content-blocker\n    > .brlbs-cmpnt-cb-preset-c {\n    width: 100% !important;\n    height: 100% !important;\n  }\n\n  body .borlabs-youtube-embed--beitrag\n    > .brlbs-cmpnt-container.brlbs-cmpnt-content-blocker\n    > .brlbs-cmpnt-cb-preset-c\n    > .brlbs-cmpnt-cb-main {\n    box-sizing: border-box;\n    margin: 4% !important;\n  }\n\n  .borlabs-youtube-embed--beitrag .brlbs-cmpnt-cb-thumbnail {\n    position: absolute !important;\n    inset: 0 !important;\n    width: 100% !important;\n    height: 100% !important;\n    background-image: url(\"https:\/\/alst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/uebergabe-mahnmal-thumbnail-rede-kloeckner.jpeg\") !important;\n    background-position: center center !important;\n    background-repeat: no-repeat !important;\n    background-size: cover !important;\n  }\n\n  \/* On small screens, the Borlabs notice needs additional height. *\/\n  @media (max-width: 767px) {\n    .borlabs-youtube-embed--beitrag:has(> .brlbs-cmpnt-content-blocker) {\n      aspect-ratio: auto;\n      min-height: 340px;\n    }\n  }\n<\/style>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In bright sunshine, a new memorial was formally dedicated on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 11:00 AM at the Goldfischteich in Berlin\u2019s Tiergarten. It commemorates the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses (Bible Students) who were persecuted, deported to concentration camps, and murdered during the National Socialist era. The formal dedication gave a victim group whose history long stood in the shadow of other chapters of German remembrance culture a visible place of commemoration.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The dedication ceremony, attended by around 1,000 guests, made one thing clear: this memorial is more than just a new stop on Berlin\u2019s path of remembrance. It is a symbol of freedom of conscience, religious tolerance, and the duty to tell publicly even those stories that are uncomfortable or have long been suppressed.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F6FB; border-left: 4px solid var(--e-global-color-secondary, #1c5d80); padding: 24px 32px; margin: 24px 0 32px 0; font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.65; color: #282828;\">\n  <strong>NOTE:<\/strong> The main points of the speeches from the official dedication ceremony are summarized below in paraphrased form. The timestamps in the text (e.g., Video starting at 00:21:03) link to the corresponding point in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">video recording on YouTube<\/a>.\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Unanimous Resolution and Late Recognition<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On June 22, 2023, the German Bundestag unanimously passed a resolution to establish the memorial. At the official dedication ceremony, President of the German Bundestag Julia Kl\u00f6ckner recalled that such unity in parliament cannot be taken for granted. For this very reason, the resolution carries particular weight: the persecution of Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses under National Socialism was to receive a permanent, dignified place in public remembrance. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=530s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:08:50<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In her speech, Kl\u00f6ckner focused on the individual. Her point was that the memorial is dedicated to those who suffered grave injustice and yet preserved their humanity. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=826s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:13:46<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With this, Kl\u00f6ckner touched on a central point of the dedication ceremony. Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses are among the victim groups of National Socialism that were long overlooked. According to Kl\u00f6ckner, their faith remained foreign and suspect to many, and their suffering therefore received less recognition. Prejudices also persisted after 1945, and persecution even continued in the GDR. Consequently, the path to a visible place of remembrance was a long one. The new place of remembrance therefore also corrects the historical record by making visible what had long been overlooked.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conscience Against Violence<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his subsequent address, Minister of State for Culture and the Media Wolfram Weimer placed a clear emphasis on conscience. He asked why dictatorships fear believers and why a totalitarian state perceives the quiet steadfastness of individuals as a threat. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=1263s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:21:03<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">His answer went to the heart of the memorial: anyone who says no on grounds of conscience resists absolute power\u2019s demand for obedience. Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses did not seek to overthrow the regime. They wanted to practice their faith. Yet it was precisely this insistence on a higher moral obligation that made them a threat in the eyes of the Nazi regime. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=1321s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:22:01<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weimer also recalled August Dickmann, who was shot at Sachsenhausen concentration camp in 1939 for refusing military service on grounds of conscience. His story represents many others who were not prepared to surrender their conscience to the state. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=1294s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:21:34<\/a><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why the Bible Students Were Persecuted<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The National Socialists persecuted Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses with particular severity because they rejected the regime\u2019s totalitarian demands. They did not give the Hitler salute, did not join the NSDAP, did not participate in the cult of the F\u00fchrer, and refused military service on grounds of conscience. Many continued their religious activities despite the ban.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The speeches also recalled that Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses helped other persecuted people. Emma and Franz Gumz from Berlin are one example. The couple supported the Jewish Deutschkron family; Emma Gumz was later honored as Righteous Among the Nations. Such stories show that resistance was not always loud. Sometimes it meant refusing to go along, sharing food, hiding people, or maintaining contact with other persecuted individuals at great personal risk. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=675s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:11:15<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the figures cited at the ceremony, thousands of Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses from Germany and the occupied countries of Europe were targeted by the Nazis. More than 15,000 were persecuted or imprisoned, and many were deported to concentration camps. At least 1,700 did not survive the persecution. In the camps, Bible Students were marked with the purple triangle. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=1234s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Figures starting at 00:20:34<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=761s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Purple triangle starting at 00:12:41<\/a><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Goldfischteich as a Historic Site<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is no coincidence that the memorial stands at the Goldfischteich. Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses met secretly near this location during the Nazi era. Under the guise of a chair rental business, they exchanged information and maintained connections within their banned community. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=1206s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:20:06<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Berlin\u2019s Senator for Justice Felor Badenberg recalled this historical context in her speech. The Goldfischteich is a place where resistance and persecution, self-assertion and state violence intersected. In August 1936, the Gestapo struck there. Several Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses were arrested; the site became the scene of a wave of persecution that reached far beyond Berlin. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=2176s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:36:16<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Badenberg drew a clear lesson for the present from this. From the perspective of the justice system in particular, injustice must be named as such. Courts and public prosecutors did not merely tolerate National Socialist injustice; in many cases, they enforced it. The memorial therefore also points to the responsibility of a state governed by the rule of law to protect freedom of conscience and religion. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=2316s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:38:36<\/a><\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Bronze Sculpture Like a Wounded Tree<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The memorial was created by artist Matthias Leeck. The sculpture is five meters high and made of bronze. In the speeches, it was described as a tree whose branches have been removed, yet which remains firmly rooted. This form was chosen deliberately: it is intended to convey injury without allowing helplessness to have the final word. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=1130s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:18:50<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leeck himself spoke about the artistic struggle involved in giving form to such a subject. How can suffering be captured in bronze? How can a work commemorate persecution without reducing the victims to their suffering? His answer is a sculpture that reaches upward. It appears damaged, but not broken. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=2481s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:41:21<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The surface incorporates tonal values of light and shadow from photographic fragments of concentration camp memorial sites and historical documents. In this way, memory becomes inscribed in the bronze\u2014not as a direct depiction, but as a trace: visible, tangible, and permanent. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=2585s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:43:05<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Particularly powerful was Leeck\u2019s idea that the site should not be a space devoted solely to mourning. Visitors should not stand frozen in solemnity. They should come, look, linger, and perhaps also enjoy the sun. In this way, the freedom to enjoy life in the park becomes part of the answer to the tyranny of the past. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=2733s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 00:45:33<\/a><\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/alst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Urenkel_der_Verfolgten_Clara-Denise_Doerner_Julius_Glaser-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"A young woman with long brown hair in a dark dress speaks at a lectern with two microphones and holds a sheet of paper in her hand. Beside her stands a young man in a dark suit with a waistcoat and tie. In the background is lush green foliage.\" class=\"wp-image-17549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/alst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Urenkel_der_Verfolgten_Clara-Denise_Doerner_Julius_Glaser-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/alst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Urenkel_der_Verfolgten_Clara-Denise_Doerner_Julius_Glaser-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/alst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Urenkel_der_Verfolgten_Clara-Denise_Doerner_Julius_Glaser-354x199.jpg 354w, https:\/\/alst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Urenkel_der_Verfolgten_Clara-Denise_Doerner_Julius_Glaser-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/alst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Urenkel_der_Verfolgten_Clara-Denise_Doerner_Julius_Glaser-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/alst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Urenkel_der_Verfolgten_Clara-Denise_Doerner_Julius_Glaser-480x270.jpg 480w, https:\/\/alst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Urenkel_der_Verfolgten_Clara-Denise_Doerner_Julius_Glaser-640x360.jpg 640w, https:\/\/alst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Urenkel_der_Verfolgten_Clara-Denise_Doerner_Julius_Glaser-720x405.jpg 720w, https:\/\/alst.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Urenkel_der_Verfolgten_Clara-Denise_Doerner_Julius_Glaser.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clara-Denise D\u00f6rner and Julius Glaser, descendants of persecuted Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses, speak at the memorial\u2019s official dedication ceremony in Berlin\u2019s Tiergarten on June 24, 2026. Photo: Peter Maciol.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Voices of Descendants: Putting Faces to History<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among the most moving moments of the dedication ceremony were the accounts shared by descendants of persecuted Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses. They told of families whose daily lives were shattered by arrest, loss of employment, loss of housing, and imprisonment in concentration camps. They spoke of fathers who did not return, of mothers who cared for their children under the most difficult conditions, and of children who were punished at school simply for refusing the Hitler salute.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program featured Clara-Denise D\u00f6rner, the great-granddaughter of Bruno Seide, who was persecuted, and Julius Glaser, the great-great-grandson of Wilhelm Ruhnau, who was also persecuted. Their contributions brought history out of abstract remembrance: those who had been persecuted emerged again as individuals with families, occupations, children, decisions, and descendants who speak their names today. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=2985s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Clara-Denise D\u00f6rner starting at 00:49:45<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=3239s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Julius Glaser starting at 00:53:59<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These personal memories gave the memorial a second dimension. Numbers are necessary to grasp the scale of the persecution. But only family stories show what persecution meant in individual lives: dismissal from a job, emergency accommodation, fear of the Gestapo\u2019s next visit, the last sign of life from detention, and silence after the war.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These voices in particular made it clear why places of remembrance are needed. They do more than preserve the memory of the past. They create a public space where descendants can say: This happened. And it belongs to our shared history.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Memorial for Dignity and Freedom of Conscience<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the end of the ceremony, the memorial was formally dedicated. Berlin\u2019s Tiergarten now has a place that commemorates a long-overlooked victim group while posing an urgent question for the present: What is a conscience worth when power demands obedience? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE&amp;t=3980s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Video starting at 01:06:20<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The memorial\u2019s answer is quiet but clear. It lies in the five-meter-high bronze, in the history of the Goldfischteich, in the names of the persecuted, and in the voices of their descendants. It says: Human dignity remains inviolable\u2014even where a regime does everything in its power to break it.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Press Reports<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.com.py\/ciencia\/2026\/06\/24\/alemania-recuerda-con-monumento-a-testigos-de-jehova-asesinados-durante-nacionalsocialismo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ABC (Paraguay)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.br.de\/nachrichten\/meldung\/neues-mahnmal-erinnert-an-verfolgte-zeugen-jehovas,3007e22bf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.morgenpost.de\/berlin\/article412378338\/mahnmal-im-berliner-tiergarten-eingeweiht-diese-bedeutung-hat-die-skulptur.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Berliner Morgenpost<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/kulturstaatsminister.de\/staatsminister-eroeffnet-mahnmal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Minister of State for Culture and the Media (BKM)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bundestag.de\/presse\/pressemitteilungen\/2026\/pm-260624-zeugenjehovas-1192004\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">German Bundestag<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.deutschlandfunk.de\/bronzestele-das-mahnmal-fuer-die-verfolgten-und-ermordeten-zeugen-jehovas-100.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Deutschlandfunk<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dpa-international.com\/politics\/urn:newsml:dpa.com:20090101:260624-930-276714\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">dpa International<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/evangelische-zeitung.de\/echos-der-vergangenheit-neues-mahnmal-fuer-zeugen-jehovas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Evangelische Zeitung<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tagesspiegel.de\/berlin\/neue-gedenkstatte-vom-ns-regime-verfolgt-mahnmal-erinnert-an-zeugen-jehovas-15752506.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Der Tagesspiegel<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DZtxw2IlRYO\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Instagram (RBB24)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DZ79bOpGI6y\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Instagram (JW Pressroom)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jehovaszeugen.de\/de\/ein-zeichen-fuer-menschenrechte-und-religionsfreiheit\/\">Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.juedische-allgemeine.de\/politik\/mahnmal-fuer-ermordete-zeugen-jehovas-eingeweiht\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">J\u00fcdische Allgemeine<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wewelsburg.de\/de\/aktuelles\/meldungen\/2026-06-25-Mahnmal-in-Berlin-Zeugen-Jehovas.php\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.wewelsburg.de\/de\/aktuelles\/meldungen\/2026-06-25-Mahnmal-in-Berlin-Zeugen-Jehovas.php\">Kreismuseum Wewelsburg<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.liberation.fr\/international\/europe\/en-allemagne-la-reconnaissance-inachevee-des-victimes-oubliees-du-nazisme-20260620_SVIMVR74GBFGPKILEVCRHQI4CM\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lib\u00e9ration (France)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lalibre.be\/international\/2026\/06\/24\/les-temoins-de-jehovah-victimes-longtemps-oubliees-du-regime-nazi-ils-ont-resiste-du-premier-au-dernier-jour-de-la-dictature-EEDVX72OL5BYNDNU2YUA5GZZVY\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">La Libre (Belgium)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lavanguardia.com\/internacional\/20260625\/11574344\/martirio-nazi-testigos-jehova.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">La Vanguardia (Spain)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/villamerlaender.de\/schichten-der-erinnerung\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Villa Merl\u00e4nder (NS-Dokumentationsstelle Krefeld)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/actu.orange.fr\/monde\/allemagne-un-monument-en-hommage-aux-temoins-de-jehovah-persecutes-par-les-nazis-CNT000002q9PYn.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Orange Actualit\u00e9s (France)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/religion.orf.at\/stories\/3236158\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ORF Religion (Austria)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/rp-online.de\/nrw\/staedte\/wermelskirchen\/festakt-zur-einweihung-in-dieser-bronze-darf-nicht-ohnmacht-das-letzte-wort-haben_aid-150285417\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">RP Online<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbb24.de\/politik\/beitrag\/2026\/06\/mahnmal-zeugen-jehovas-nationalsozialismus-berlin-denkmaeler.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rbb24<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stern.de\/news\/mahnmal-fuer-im-nationalsozialismus-verfolgte-zeugen-jehovas-eingeweiht-37595360.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stern<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/taz.de\/Mahnmal-fuer-NS-Opfer-der-Zeugen-Jehovas\/!6190311\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">taz<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/information.tv5monde.com\/international\/allemagne-un-monument-en-hommage-aux-temoins-de-jehovah-persecutes-par-les-nazis-2827537\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">TV5 Monde (France)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dieverleugneten-vevon.de\/pressmitteilung-anlaesslich-der-einweihung-des-mahnmals-fuer-die-im-nationalsozialismus-verfolgten-und-ermordeten-zeugen-jehovas-am-24-juni-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Die Verleugneten (VEVON)\u2014Press Release<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www1.wdr.de\/mediathek\/audio\/wdr5\/wdr5-morgenecho-interview\/audio-zeugen-jehovas-woran-soll-das-neue-mahnmal-erinnern-100.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WDR 5 \u2013 Morgenecho<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.welt.de\/regionales\/berlin\/article6a3bd31aafe845031b3aca1c\/vom-ns-regime-verfolgt-mahnmal-erinnert-an-zeugen-jehovas.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Die Welt<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/world\/articles\/berlin-memorial-commemorates-jehovahs-witnesses-145637383.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yahoo News (English)<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/zeitzeichen.net\/node\/12585\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">zeitzeichen<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Video Recordings<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SmOKRhE9bWE\">Video Recording of the Official Dedication Ceremony<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/3ZLFiVkkja4\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/3ZLFiVkkja4\">Video Recording of the Previous Day\u2019s Program<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Facts About the Memorial for Persecuted Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Location:<\/strong> Goldfischteich in Berlin\u2019s Tiergarten<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Occasion:<\/strong> Commemoration of Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses persecuted and murdered under National Socialism, often known at the time as Bible Students<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Official Dedication:<\/strong> June 24, 2026<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bundestag Resolution:<\/strong> June 22, 2023, unanimous<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Artist:<\/strong> Matthias Leeck<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Design:<\/strong> Five-meter-high bronze sculpture, based on the shape of a wounded but steadfast tree<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Historical Reference:<\/strong> Secret meetings of Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses at the Goldfischteich, arrests by the Gestapo in 1936<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Descendants in the Program:<\/strong> Clara-Denise D\u00f6rner, great-granddaughter of Bruno Seide, who was persecuted; Julius Glaser, great-great-grandson of Wilhelm Ruhnau, who was persecuted<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is there a memorial for Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses in Berlin?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The memorial commemorates Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses who were persecuted, imprisoned, and murdered for their faith under National Socialism. It brings visibility to a victim group whose history long received less attention.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where is the memorial located?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The memorial is located at the Goldfischteich in Berlin\u2019s Tiergarten. The site was chosen because Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses met there secretly during the Nazi era, and the Gestapo carried out arrests there in 1936.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who created the memorial?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The bronze sculpture was designed by artist Matthias Leeck. It resembles a damaged but steadfast tree.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why were Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses persecuted under National Socialism?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among other things, they refused the Hitler salute, did not join party organizations, rejected the cult of the F\u00fchrer, and refused military service on grounds of conscience. In doing so, they resisted the totalitarian demands of the Nazi regime.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does the purple triangle mean?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The purple triangle was the badge used to mark Bible Students and Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses in concentration camps.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You are currently viewing placeholder content from YouTube. If you load the content, a connection will be established with YouTube\/Google. Personal data, such as your IP address, may be transmitted to Google Ireland Limited, YouTube\u2019s provider, and cookies or similar technologies may be used. You may withdraw your consent at any time in the privacy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17595,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[91,217,88],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events-en","category-memorial-to-the-persecuted-and-murdered-jehovahs-witnesses-under-national-socialism","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17597"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17902,"href":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17597\/revisions\/17902"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17595"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alst.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}