Monument in Kreuzberg: Memory of the forgotten Dersim massacre

Monument in Kreuzberg: Memory of the forgotten Dersim massacre

A new monument in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district honored the victims of the Dersim massacre, which took place in East Turkey in 1937 and 1938. During these events, the Turkish army killed tens of thousands of people, mostly Alevis and Kurd: inside. The stele was inaugurated on Sunday on Blucherplatz, a place that is not only symbolic but also geographically important, since the Dersim community e.V. is located there. This also takes into account the largest diaspora community by Dersimer: inside in Berlin, where around 40,000 people with roots live in the region. This is reported by the Tagesspiegel .

The district council (BVV) decided in 2021 to give the comunitarian initiative a place for the monument. The application came from the SPD-Kreuzberg and Sevim Aydin, a former district prescribed in Dersim. Aydin emphasizes that the massacre is often concealed or forgotten, and sees the memorial as an important symbol to preserve the perspectives of those affected.

historical context of the Dersim uprising

The Dersim uprising was the last significant uprising of the Kurd: inside in Turkey. It is regarded by historians as one of the darkest chapters in Turkish history, and the violence that the uprising triggered led to the Turkish government operating massive military violence against rebels and civilians. Estimates on the number of fatalities vary greatly; Official state reports initially assumed a few hundred deaths. However, recent local and academic studies appreciate the number up to 63,000, which illustrates the brutality and scope of the events. According to Wikipedia , the region, which was still known as Dersim, was renamed Tunçeli in 1936 and was under military administration.

The uprising was led by Seyit Rıza, an important leader of the Dersim Kurds, which was supported by the elites of the Zaza group. The Turkish government mobilized around 25,000 soldiers to put down the rebellion. Numerous villages were destroyed in the areas where fights took place and the population was deported. Reports about atrocities and massacre of civilians are numerous, and up to 50,000 people were driven out during this time. It was only in 2011 that the Turkish government officially apologized for the massacres and admitted 13,806 fatalities.

a memorial for the future

District Mayor Clara Herrmann (Greens) expressed that the monument is part of the history of many Kreuzberger: inside and that a turn to more commemorating and dealing with the collective trauma. Member of the Bundestag Pascal Meiser emphasized in his statements about the inauguration of the monument to maintain the memory of the murdered tens of thousands. The term "Tertele" describes the trauma of this time and illustrates how important it is to call up such historical events so as not to be forgotten.