The Berlin Museum of German-Russian Relations, at the site where the Nazis agreed to surrender unconditionally in 1945, must remove the word “Russian” from its name ahead of jubilee events to mark the end of World War II in Europe.
As tensions are already high on the eve of the 77th anniversary of the signing of the agreement on the surrender of Nazi Germany on May 8 and 9, the director of the German-Russian Museum Jörg More said he would rename it the Berlin-Karlshorst Museum.
“On the first day of the invasion, we said it was such a deep turning point that we have to do it,” More told rbb24. He said it no longer seemed appropriate to give the Russian Federation the status it enjoyed in the title.
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The museum is housed in the former Wehrmacht officer’s room, the German wartime armed forces in the Karlshorst district of East Berlin. It was there, on May 8, 1945, that German officers agreed to give up their battle in a meeting with Red Army generals and representatives of the United States, Britain, and France.
The museum was founded 30 years ago by German and Russian historians, following the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Germany after German reunification. Funding for it came from the governments of the two countries and was opened to the public in 1995 as a German-Russian museum dedicated to the history of German-Soviet relations.
In particular, he focused on World War II, including the role of the Red Army in the liberation of Berlin, but reached 1917. Historians from cultural organizations in Germany, Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine collaborated on its exhibits.
As a sign of solidarity with Ukraine, on the day Russia invaded, the Sea removed all the flags of these four countries, which are usually displayed in front of its museum, leaving only the Ukrainian flag.
But he said he resisted calls for the removal of many Soviet military monuments around Berlin, including his museum, some with built-in Red Army tanks. A Soviet T34 tank is on display at his museum, along with a collection of heavy Soviet military equipment used during and after the war.
He stressed that the museum still intends to commemorate the efforts and achievements of the Red Army in its fight against Adolf Hitler and the liberation of Berlin, which he said involved soldiers from Russia and Ukraine and other former Soviet countries. countries. The bodies of thousands of soldiers are buried in military cemeteries in and around Berlin.
An increasing number of memorials, including one in Treptower Park, decorated with a quote from Stalin, have been vandalized and covered with graffiti in recent weeks in protest of the invasion of Ukraine.
“I am completely against dismantling them or leveling them … no matter how out of place they seem. But obviously we need to contextualize them, “More said.
Anniversary events are scheduled to take place next Sunday and Monday, but will be restrained and will emphasize the victims of the war, including commemorating Ukrainian victims of the current conflict, officials said.
The Russian embassy in Berlin has said it will hold its own World War II commemorations, including at the three main memorial sites in Berlin and the site of former concentration camps, but will keep the exact hours and locations secret. for security. “
The Berlin Senate said about 50 demonstrations and events – including pro- and anti-Russian demonstrations – were planned across the city and that police were preparing for clashes, saying the situation “poses a very sensitive threat”.
There was outrage last month after a convoy of pro-Russian protesters was allowed to pass through the city.
A Mother of Peace demonstration will take place in front of the Berlin-Karlshorst Museum on Sunday, and the anti-war protest will pass through the government district. Police said they would limit the number of Russian flags on display and suppress any attempts to glorify the invasion. Demonstrators will be banned from using car horns or displaying the military symbol Z, which means za podebu (for victory).
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