Real estate developer wants to tear down anti-fascist monument in Berlin

From friends of the "Ernst Thaelmann memorial"

A short look back: The memorial was built in the 50ties. The GDR built it to remember the meeting of the leadership - the central committee - of the communist party of Germany (KPD) and its chairman Ernst Thaelmann on the 7th of February 1933. On the 30th of January 1933, one week before, the Nazis came to power in Germany and this meeting of Thaelmann and his comrades was the first meeting of a German party to organize the antifascist resistance. Thälmann held his famous "Ziegenhalser Speech" there, where he called all antifascists to unite and fight against the fascist regime. This meeting, which had to be organized illegally, is also a proof that there even more German antifascists than only the resistance of military members: While Stauffenberg needed 11 years and a nearly lost war, the communists needed one week to start the struggle against the Hitler-regime.

After 1989/1990 the Treuhand-Anstalt (a government agency to sell all the peoples property of the GDR to private hands and the state) was owner of the soil, the building and the memorial. They sold it 2003 to an official of Brandenburg. This guy closed the memorial immediately and tried - since seven years - to destroy it.

Only the big nationwide and international solidarity prevented a demolition. Now we have to increase our efforts, because the owner wants to destroy the memorial right now and the authorities of Brandenburg protect his plans.

This were the reasons why we started an international campaign. The authorities have to understand, that there are a lot of people - especially outside of Germany, especially so called "VIP's" - who support our struggle.

We send you an appeal against the demolition of this important and famous memorial. This appeal can be signed - online or on paper. Direct link to sign online here. Or have a look at our site: www.etg-ziegenhals.de/Aktuelles