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Bundeswehr Memorial

  • Bundeswehr Memorial

    View of the central memorial of the Bundeswehr in Berlin.

  • Bundeswehr Memorial

    Bundeswehr soldiers stand at the Bundeswehr Memorial in Berlin next to wreaths that were previously laid.

  • Bundeswehr Memorial

    The "Room of Information" at the Bundeswehr Memorial.

The Bundeswehr Memorial is located on the grounds of the Ministry of Defense near the Tiergarten. Soldiers and civilian employees who have lost their lives in the line of duty are commemorated here.

Since the Bundeswehr - Germany's Federal Defense - was founded in 1955, over 3300 soldiers and civilian employees have died in the line of duty. In 2005, Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung took the initiative to establish a memorial, as there was a lack of a central location "where all of the Bundeswehr's dead could be commemorated in a dignified manner".

Memorial for fallen soldiers and employees

Jung had decided to erect the memorial at the Berlin headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Defense near the Tiergarten. Soldiers and civilian employees who lost their lives in the line of duty are commemorated here. The Bundeswehr Memorial on the edge of the Bendlerblock site on Hildebrandtstraße was inaugurated on September 8, 2009.

Bundeswehr Memorial: Room of Silence

According to the plans of Munich architect Andreas Meck, a publicly accessible concrete block 32 meters long, eight meters wide and ten meters high was created. It is covered with an openwork bronze shell, the structure of which is reminiscent of the soldiers' identification tags, which are cut in half when they die. Inside is a black Room of Silence, the cella, where wreaths and flowers can be laid.

Video installation to commemorate the dead

The inscription reads: "To the dead of our Bundeswehr for peace, justice and freedom". The names of over 3,200 soldiers and members of the Bundeswehr who have died are displayed on a small projection screen for around eight seconds at a time. This is similar to a video installation and differs from traditional war memorials, where the names are carved in stone. This is intended to avoid hero worship and instead emphasize the transience of life and the individuality of death.

Information

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 Address
Hildebrandstraße 18
10785 Berlin
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Phone
+49 (0)30 182 422 276
Internet
www.bundeswehr.de
Admission Fee
Free

Public transportation

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Source: Berlin.de | All texts, photographs and graphics on this site are protected by copyright and may not be copied, reproduced, translated or used otherwise.

Last edited: 22 January 2025