While Americans Celebrate Freedom: Berlin to Bulldoze History

Update: The Monument Has Been Destroyed.

Victims of Communist Violence Threaten to Chain Themselves to Monument

As Americans set off fireworks to celebrate independence and freedom tonight, a different scene will play out half-way around the world in Berlin. There, at the site of Checkpoint Charlie, where Americans stood guard for so many decades and confronted Communist tyranny, workers with heavy equipment and machinery will descend to tear down over 1,000 crosses, each individually dedicated to those murdered attempting to escape Communist dictatorship for freedom.

The planned demolition, intentionally scheduled for 4:01 AM to minimize visibility and public outrage, could develop into a massive public relations nightmare for the city of Berlin. A group comprised of victims of Communist violence has announced that they will chain themselves themselves to the crosses of murdered family members and friends before they see the city take them down.

Over our dead bodies: These five victims of Communism won't allow the monument's destruction without a fight. From left: Mario Röllig, 37, Hans-Eberhard Zahn, 77, Mike Fröhnel, 40, Herbert Pfaff, 70,  Gustav Rust, 65. (Source)

How Could This Happen?

There are numerous factors behind the destruction of the Checkpoint Charlie monument despite its enormous popularity with tourists. But it all essentially boils down to the fact that the land upon which the monument stands is not a protected historic site. It is private property owned by a bank named Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG) headquartered in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The monument itself was created last year on the private initiative of the Checkpoint Charlie Museum and its director, Ms. Alexandra Hildebrandt, who leased the land from the bank. 

Not surprisingly, the monument quickly became a thorn in the eye of the city government of Berlin, a political coalition consisting of Gerhard Schroeder's Social-Democrats and the PDS, the Communist successor of the SED party (Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands) that ruled East Germany with an iron dictatorial fist. Members of both parties in the city senate, particularly Senators Thomas Flierl (PDS) and  Ingeborg Junge-Reyer (SPD), repeatedly criticized the monument, stating that the somber crosses were turning the city into a sort of Disneyland. Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG) also heard the grumbling coming from the city government and felt obliged to terminate its lease with the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. When it did so and Ms. Hildebrandt defiantly refused to remove the monument, the bank sued to have the monument torn down and won. When, as a last resort, Ms. Hildebrandt offered to buy the land to save the monument, the bank asked for 36 million Euros, a price that, according to Henry Nickel of Republicans Abroad, is far above the actual market value and nothing more than a smokescreen created to frustrate efforts of monument proponents. The city fully backs the court order and demolition was initially scheduled to be carried out in the early morning hours of July 4th Berlin time. After widespread protest from groups representing American veterans and victims of Communism, the date was cynically moved back a day.

Massive Conflict of Interest: Senator Flierl Joined the SED in 1976!

The entire situation is even more disturbing because Senator Flierl of the PDS, the monument's primary antagonist and critic, joined the SED in 1976 and was actively engaged in the politics of the former East German dictatorship as an employee of the GDR's Ministry of Culture right up until the wall came down in 1989. It was the SED dictatorship that was directly responsible for the hundreds of murders that the crosses at Checkpoint Charlie memorialize. So is it any wonder that Senator Flierl wants the monument bulldozed and has repeatedly attacked it as the wrong monument at the wrong location?

Unbelievable: Why Isn't Checkpoint Charlie a Protected Historic Site?

The Berlin CDU (Christian Democratic Party) has demonstrated alongside American groups to stop the planned demolition. And they have also raised the 36 million Euro question: Why hasn't Checkpoint Charlie been designated a protected historic site by the state? No one would allow a bank to own land upon which the Brandenburg Gate stands, so why can a bank own a part of Checkpoint Charlie?

An Unforgettable Moment in Cold War History: October 1961: Tanks Square-Off at Checkpoint Charlie (Source)

But Senator Flierl, once the loyal servant of the Honecker regime, doesn't want to hear any of it. He supports the Bundestag's (German parliament's) plan to erect an "information center" and a "place of remembrance" at the Brandenburg gate and banish all other remains of the wall to a museum in Berlin's Bernauer Strasse. According to the Berliner Morgenpost, critics of the government's plans believe that "the wall has been systematically banned from the city's image."

Berlin's Tourism Chief Fears Massive Damage to the City's Image

Just removing the monument will cost the city an estimated 20,000 to 100,000 Euros ($24,000 to $120,000 USD). But the damage to the city's image could be far larger. How will images of the destruction of crosses representing the victims of Germany's Communist past play internationally? Hans Peter Nerger, Berlin's chief of tourism, recently said, "When pictures go around the world of bulldozers mowing down crosses, that is bad for Berlin."

Certainly, the major cable news networks would be insane not to film such symbolic, tragic and historic images as the city of Berlin allows the forceful removal of the monument. Hopefully, a last-minute solution can still be found and an unnecessary disgrace to the city of Berlin can be avoided.

Important: Let Them Know How You Feel!

The bank that owns the leased land and sued to have the crosses removed, Bankaktiengesellschaft (BAG), can be contacted at: info@bankaktiengesellschaft.de. The man primarily responsible for the bank's decision to have the monument destroyed is bank director Udo Wittler.

You can email Senator Thomas Flierl's spokesperson at: Pressestelle@senwfk.verwalt-berlin.de

You can email Berlin's mayor Klaus Wowereit (SPD) at: Der-Regierende-Buergermeister@Skzl.Verwalt-Berlin.de

You can email Berlin's Senator for City Development, Ingeborg Junge-Reyer (SPD) at: oeffentlichkeitsarbeit@senstadt.verwalt-berlin.de

Also check out our earlier articles on this situation here and here.

Comments

[Scout]

Thanks for a great article and a spot-on analysis of what the SED... oh excuse me, the PDS is trying to cover up. It is a disgrace.

[Gabi]

Berliner CDU demonstriert am Checkpoint Charlie

Die Berliner CDU hat am Montagabend am Checkpoint Charlie für einen Erhalt des umstrittenen privaten Mauermahnmals demonstriert. Die Polizei will an diesem Dienstag die mehr als 1000 Holzkreuze und ein nachgebautes Mauerstück abbauen.
(aus tagesspiegel)

[Sock Puppet of Doom]

"Certainly, the major cable news networks would be insane not to film such symbolic, tragic and historic images as the city of Berlin allows the forceful removal of the monument."

But they will, being of the same TRANZI stock as the neo-communists who will be bulldozing this small reminder of their evil past as puppets of the Soviets.

God bless the former West Germany, the Germans and the Allies who fought communism to it's end and the fall of the wall. God bless the souls of those murdered trying to flee to West Germany. I will never forget, monument or not.

Steven Leon Hess

[Pamela]

Amihasser, if you would allow a personal question? Are you from East or West Germany? Or perhaps not German?

[jaed]

Certainly, the major cable news networks would be insane not to film such symbolic, tragic and historic images as the city of Berlin allows the forceful removal of the monument.

It might be insane, but you know they're not going to do it. Yet existing video will make this a much juicier story, and more likely to at least be covered after the fact. Which means someone else must step up to the plate, if these images are to be recorded and to reach the world. Any of y'all in the vicinity of Berlin have a video camera?

[Ray D.]

@ Pamela:

And here is more on Amihasser's life. Also check here.

[Pamela]

Ray LOL! As hard as you guys work on this blog you STILL have way too much time on your hands.

Amihasser, I've seen some of your posts before they get deleted, but usually only after-the-fact references. If you wouldn't mind having a discussion with a curious American, please feel free to email me.

(Ray, don't have a stroke, ok?)

[Trish]

This is meant as a joke

maybe Amihasser is truly Cohn-Bendit

[kid charlemagne]

You're a brave woman, Pamela. Good luck with the rehabilitation project.

[Ray D.]

Yeah, lots of luck Pamela! :)

[Pamela]

Ha! No rehab intended. I'm truly curious.
Beauty rest beckons. See you guys tomorrow.

[Jewels (AKA Julian)]

and they've started....

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GERMANY_CHECKPOINT_CHARLIE?SITE=CATOR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-07-05-01-37-16

bastards

[dev.null]

And right they are. Ends illegal occupation of private property. End of story.

Capitalism at work. You Americans should be glad the Germans learnt their lesson well.

Tagesspiegel:

Der Rechtsweg ist der Ausweg

Der Streit um den Checkpoint Charlie zeigt die Grenzen privaten Engagements

Von Werner van Bebber

Das klingt schon nach Unrecht: Ein Denkmal wird „abgerissen“, Holzkreuze werden umgelegt, zwei Brachflächen werden dort entstehen, wo ein Dreivierteljahr Berlin-Besucher eine schauerliche Ahnung von der Grausamkeit der innerdeutschen Grenze bekommen haben. Abriss, Rückbau, Brachfläche – am Checkpoint Charlie ist das ungute Ende einer unguten Geschichte erreicht. Aber daran hat nicht nur einer Schuld.

Das Ungute am Streit um den Checkpoint liegt darin, dass keiner der Beteiligten ganz lautere Motive zu haben scheint – Alexandra Hildebrandt so wenig wie PDS-Kultursenator Thomas Flierl. Alexandra Hildebrandt, die Chefin des Mauermuseums und Erfinderin des Mahnmals für die Mauertoten, wird mit der ihr eigenen Mischung aus Emotionalität und Empörungsbereitschaft den Verdacht zurückweisen, ihr gehe es zuerst und zuletzt um Popularität. Oder um den Zugriff auf die beiden Flächen an der Friedrichstraße. Dabei ist alles, was den Checkpoint ins Fernsehen bringt, für sie und ihr Museum perfekte Werbung. Hildebrandt ist eine Meisterin der inszenierten Aufregung am und um den Checkpoint Charlie. Doch dass sie mit ihrem Gefühl für Pathos einen Ort erfunden hat, der viele bewegt, ehrt sie.

Kultursenator Thomas Flierl (PDS) wirkt dagegen wie ein Antipode aus Schaumstoff, in Watte gepackt. Der Mann, der von seinem Regierenden Bürgermeister doch bei jeder Gelegenheit hört, wie wichtig für die Stadt Touristen sind, hatte nicht mal die Anziehungskraft des Checkpoints erkannt. In Sachen Mauer, Teilung, Erkennbarkeit der Grenze tat er nichts, bis ihm alle möglichen Leute deutlich machten, dass es so nicht weitergeht. Dann kam er im April mit seinem Mauerkonzept. Darin ist der Checkpoint historisch richtig untergebracht als Ort des Kalten Krieges; emotional aber tat und tut Flierl mit diesem Ort, was er die ganze Zeit damit getan hat: Er ignoriert ihn, wo er kann.

Sachzwänge machen ihm das leicht. Zunächst: Unzuständigkeit. Die beiden Flächen werden von einer Bank im Zuge eines Insolvenzverfahrens verwaltet. Die Bank will die Flächen räumen lassen, weil sie meint, sie könne sie sonst nicht verkaufen. Für die Räumung ist der heutige 5. Juli angesetzt. Das ist ein rechtliches Verfahren, an dem Flierl nicht beteiligt ist, basta. Dass er gar nicht erst den Eindruck erweckt hat, er durchsuche seine Kulturverwaltungen an stillen Freitagnachmittagen nach 36 Millionen Euro, um die Flächen zu kaufen, ist das Ehrliche an Thomas Flierl. Und angenommen, er oder der Senat hätten das Geld – Geschrei all derer, die aufs Sparen verpflichtet sind, wäre der Berliner Reflex auf ein senatsgebautes Mahnmal.

Aus dem Dilemma führt nur ein Weg – der Rechtsweg. Der Imageschaden durch abgerissene Kreuze fällt auf die Stadt zurück und auf einen Senat, den an Berlin vor allem die Eventversessenheit der Gegenwart interessiert, eine Vergangenheit, die erst wieder freizulegen ist, aber nicht. Alexandra Hildebrandt hat die Chance zum Spendensammeln. So schnell wird wohl kein Investor für die Flächen zu finden sein – Berlin leidet nicht an einem Mangel an Geschäftshäusern.

Wer aber die Toten der Mauer an zentralem Ort ehren will, muss warten. Der Bundestag will ein Mahnmal, das hat er jüngst beschlossen. Dass dafür der Bund, nicht die Berliner Politik zuständig sein wird – darin liegt die Chance des neuen Erinnerungsortes.

[Gabi]

Amihasser arbeitet richtig mit! Ha! Er postet schon Artikel. Vielleicht will er auch einmal einen kleinen Beitrag schreiben?

[Tina]

@ Amihasser

Just a few comments for you.

1. I am reminded of a phrase, when you hate, it only hurts you. Most of the people who you hate, don't know. The rest, don't care.

2. The term "Ami", although intended as derogatory, generally gives Americans a chuckle. It's just too cute sounding to the American ear be offensive.

3. Lastly, on a historical level, it's the positive motivators that win not only the argument, but also the day. Haters and bigots seeth as the world passes them by. Oh, of course the bigots occasionally have their days in the sun, like the Hitlers of the world. But in the end, they are more likely to die soaked in their own filth.

--Tina--

--Tina--

[Doughnut Boy Andy]

Was there about 1am, hopping from meetings and the clearing was still taking place. The street was blocked by a few police and very wet guys with security written on some raincoats. The east (geographically as they are both in the old east side) of the monument had been cleared and the west side was still being cleared. There werent any bulldozers in action at the time (I didnt actually see any but the street was blocked off), just someone trying to cut away at the replica wall and a very wierd sight: About 10 bailiffs all wearing those blue German work uniforms (yes Germans even have uniforms for work!) were standing in a line carrying these crosses over their shoulders as they waited to hand them over to be placed into the van. That was a wierd sight.

Some American tourists were talking about it unaware of the details. They thought it was for a film but I gave them the basic facts and told them to look up David`s Medienkritik on the internet.

[Doughnuts]

i really don't know what your outrage is about... check this!

http://www.berlin.de/landespressestelle/archiv/2005/07/04/27611/index.html

the memory of the victims is guaranteed by the Berlin senate!!!

[Benetton]

i really don't know what your outrage is about... check this!

http://www.berlin.de/landespressestelle/archiv/2005/07/04/27611/index.html

the memory of the victims is guaranteed by the Berlin senate!!!

[Cousin Dave]

Tina:

The term "Ami", although intended as derogatory, generally gives Americans a chuckle. It's just too cute sounding to the American ear be offensive

Me too... every time I see that, my first though is: "He hates kitchen scrubbing powder?"

Of course, the real irony, given Amihasser's stated background, is that in French, the word "ami" or "amie" [female] means "friend".

[Jabba the Tutt]

30 years ago, I called America Amiland. You have Deutschland and you have Amiland. What's the problem? BTW, Yankee also started out as an insult.

[Werner]

Zwar kann ich als Nicht-Berliner und jemand, der von den Verhältnissen dort nicht unmittelbar betroffen war, nur begrenzt mitreden. Aber eine Gedenkstätte am früheren Checkpoint Charlie erscheint mir durchaus angebracht. Wie diese ausschauen soll, darüber kann man allerdings unterschiedlicher Meinung sein. Dass das Gründstück um den Checkpoint Charlie nicht schon längst geschützte historische Stätte geworden ist, ist sicherlich ein Versäumnis.
P.S.: Den Artikel im Handelsblatt "Streitfall Gedenken. Bagger räumen Mahnmal am Checkpoint Charlie weg" finde ich auch lesenswert: http://www.handelsblatt.com/pshb?fn=tt&sfn=go&id=1064070