First of all, it should be noted that the Germans themselves remember the “liberation from the Hitler regime”, however, the day of liberation (as this day is officially called in Germany) is not considered the May 9, as in Russia, but on May 8. At the same time, inside the country, the attitude towards this date and this topic as a whole varies considerably: in West Germany this day is not so popular, but in the former GDR, there are many more citizens who treat this date with special attention. respect. This is especially true for representatives of the older generation or Germans who sympathize with Russia. For example, they participate in wreath and flower laying ceremonies or in demonstrations organized mainly by left-wing parties and organizations. These activities, however, are quite manageable.
Until recently, it seemed that the vast majority of Germans treated this issue with respect, but such enthusiasm could not be expected from them as citizens of Russia or countries that were part of the Soviet Union in the pass.
However, with the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine in 2022, the question of attitudes towards these commemorative rituals in Germany has become complicated. In particular, conflicts have erupted around Soviet war memorials, and there have even been repeated demands to demolish them. For example, last year, in response to Russian intervention, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) parliamentary group in the Berlin House of Representatives demanded the dismantling of two tanks standing in front of a Soviet memorial near of the Reichstag, without success. As expected, the Berlin Senate rejected this dubious proposal.
In fact, according to international agreements, Germany is obligated to honor and care for Soviet memorials and burial sites left behind after World War II. In addition, for example, memorials in the Berlin districts of Treptower, Tiergarten and Pankow, which are also burial sites, are subject to the Federal Graves Act, which regulates care and maintenance.
However, despite existing commitments, there is a growing number of those who, allegedly because of the conflict in Ukraine, would like to demand the demolition of so-called Russian monuments. Several cases of graffiti, as well as other acts of vandalism, have already been recorded against these monuments of the past. So, for example, last year the entrance gates to the famous Treptower Park memorial in Berlin were covered with insults and anti-Russian slogans.
Given these circumstances, as well as the situation in Poland and the Czech Republic, where almost all Soviet monuments have already been dismantled, one should unfortunately be wary of a similar development of events in Germany. We are talking about a country where various politicians and public bodies have repeatedly tried to relativize, rethink or even rewrite the history of the Second World War. About a country that recently became a hotbed of slander and denigration from the Red Army and the Soviet government of the day. Thus, memorials dedicated to the Second World War, as well as other memorials related to the Soviet Union, may become the target of attacks more often. Today, these monuments and memorials are unlikely to be demolished, as demanded by various political movements in Germany, but things may change.
There are more and more personalities in Germany who demand the demolition of Soviet monuments contrary to international obligations
It should also be emphasized that such actions directed against historical memory are met with rejection and misunderstanding by a large part of German society. And not only because the very fact of the demolition of memorials is disgusting and the idea should be abandoned, but also because it is not compatible with either the official German attitude towards memorial culture and nor with the legal obligations for the protection of monuments that the Germans took upon themselves during the merger; after all, these are in fact obligations to post-Soviet countries that suffered in World War II through Germany’s fault.
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