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Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide

The Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide in Pankow, Berlin was erected between May 1947 and November 1949. It is one of three Soviet memorials built in Berlin after the war and contains the largest Soviet cemetery in the city, as well as the largest Russian cemetery in Europe outside Russia. Designed by Soviet architects K. Solovyov, M. Belaventsev, and V. Korolyov with sculptor Ivan Pershudchev, the memorial includes an obelisk of syenite, a statue of Mother Russia on a black porphyry base, eight burial chambers, and 100 bronze tablets with the names of identified soldiers.

The Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide statue seen from behind, holding a wreath over a wet paved plaza.
The central statue at the Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide, viewed from behind on a rainy day.
April 1997 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide with a tall stone obelisk and seated statue, surrounded by people on the steps.
The Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide shown in a black-and-white photograph with a tall obelisk, seated figure, and crowds gathered at the base.
© Köhler, Gustav · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Inscribed stone wall at the Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide, with torch sconces on either side of a star symbol.
Inscribed wall with star symbol and torch sconces at the Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide.
August 2010 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
German inscription on a tiled wall at the Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide, with a black star above it and the top of a dark dome at the bottom.
Inscription panel inside the Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide, with a black star above the text.
April 1997 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Stained glass window with the Soviet emblem, including a hammer and sickle, wheat sheaves, and a red star.
Stained glass featuring the Soviet emblem at the Soviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide.
March 2009 © · CC BY-SA 2.0

Identification

TitleSoviet War Memorial Schönholzer Heide
Original nameSowjetisches Ehrenmal in der Schönholzer Heide
Alternative namesDas Sowjetische Ehrenmal in der Schönholzer Heide; Soviet War Memorial in Pankow; Cemetery-memorial to the soldiers of the Soviet Army in Schönholzer Heide Park
TypeSoviet war memorial and military cemetery

Location and ownership

LocationSchönholzer Heide, Pankow, Berlin, Germany
SiteSchönholzer Heide public park, Niederschönhausen, Pankow
Area27,500 m²

Historical context

Construction periodMay 1947 to November 1949
Previous use of siteA popular recreation or excursion area in the 19th century; during the Second World War it was turned into a forced labor camp / work camp
Postwar site useThe northwestern part of the area was used to build the memorial

Creator

Designed byA Soviet architectural team of Konstantin A. Solovyov, M. Belaventsev, and V. Korolyov, together with sculptor Ivan G. Pershudchev

Discovery and provenance

Burials planned13,200 of the about 80,000 Soviet soldiers who fell during the Battle of Berlin
Burials13,200 Soviet soldiers
Named dead commemorated3,180 buried soldiers are identified; 100 bronze tablets record the names, ranks, and birth dates of about one-fifth of the dead
ContainsThe largest Soviet cemetery in Berlin and the largest Russian cemetery in Europe outside Russia
Related Soviet memorials in BerlinOne of the three main Soviet memorials in Berlin, together with the memorials in Tiergarten and Treptower Park
Nearby related memorialAnother Soviet memorial is located in Berlin-Buch in Schlosspark Buch

Physical characteristics

Inscriptions and plaques100 bronze plaques on a wall around the memorial; a Stalin quotation; inscriptions at the entrance gate; a memorial stone behind the obelisk
Obelisk base materialBlack porphyry blocks
Obelisk materialSyenite
Statue base plaques42 bronze plaques with the names of fallen officers
Main statueA statue of Mother Russia, standing in front of the obelisk and serving as the memorial's main focal point
Base material of statueBlack porphyry
Burials in chambers1,182 soldiers in each chamber
Burial chambersEight burial chambers
Main axisA central axis ending in a 33.5 m high obelisk
Burial beneath obeliskTwo Soviet colonels buried in a crypt under the Honor Hall inside the obelisk

Materials

Bronze elementsBronze tablets and plaques
Stone materialsSyenite and black porphyry

Appearance

Entrance inscriptionsTo eternal memory of the heroes; Take off your hat! Here lie Soviet soldiers, heroes of the Great War of 1941-1945, laid to eternal rest; A grateful humanity never forgets their courageous deeds
Portal quotationA quote attributed to Stalin about the Red Army's lack of racial hatred and respect for the rights of other peoples
Tablet inscriptionThey were never subdued by fascism. Their love for their homeland and their people was stronger than death.

Iconography and meaning

Interpretive noteThe inclusion of Soviet prisoners of war is described as unusual because under Stalin prisoners of war were generally regarded as potential collaborators
Dedicated toSoviet soldiers, Soviet victims of war and Nazi violence, including Soviet prisoners of war and concentration camp victims
Commemorated eventThe storming of Berlin in April–May 1945

History and restoration

RestorationRestoration began in 2011 and the memorial reopened on 13 August 2013
Restoration costAbout €10.35 million
Reason for restorationGeneral wear and deterioration
Legal protectionProtected under Article 18 of the 1990 Treaty on Good Neighbourliness, Partnership and Cooperation between Germany and the Soviet Union; the 1992 German-Russian war graves agreement committed Germany to permanently secure, maintain, and repair the graves
Public accessOpen to the public since the reopening

Significance

Claim to fameThe largest memorial complex commemorating Red Army soldiers who fell during the storming of Berlin
Postage stamp depictionDepicted on a 1977 Deutsche Post stamp designed by Joachim Rieß