Memory plaque in Tempelhof-Schöneberg: reminder of war and captivity

Memory plaque in Tempelhof-Schöneberg: reminder of war and captivity

Badenschen Straße 50/51, 12103 Berlin, Deutschland - On July 9, 2025, the district council of Tempelhof-Schöneberg commemorated the countless people who suffered captivity during the Second World War. In particular, the inhuman conditions under which millions of soldiers lived caused great concern. Today it is known that three million died of the approximately 5.7 million prisoners of war brought to German camps. These tragic numbers illustrate the need to keep the memory of these crimes awake.

The "Prisoner of War" department in Baden's Straße 50/51 was largely responsible for the administration of the camps and is also held responsible for poor care and forced labor. In order to commemorate the victim, a plaque was decided to remind you in the future of the cruel history of this time. In particular, the University of Economics and Law Berlin, which is based on the location today, will play a central role in dealing with the events and present the relevant information in the entrance area. [berlin.de] (https://www.berlin.de/ba-tempelhof-schoeneberg/aktuelles/pressemageilungen/2025/Pressemage department. 1578916.php) reports that this commemoration by greetings from Tobias Dollase, the district councilor for school, sport, further education and culture, as well as by Prof. Dr. Jens Hermsdorf, the President of the University, is supported. Dr. Stefan Petke, a historian, will keep the introductory speech.

research and documentation of captivity

The [Federal Archives] (https://www.bundesarchiv.de/im-archiv-recherchieren/archivgut-recherchieren/nach-themen/ Kriegsgnschaft-im-im-vüben-Weltkrieg/) provides a valuable resource for research on captivity in the Second World War. It provides information on various types of sources, including factual acts of the prisoner of war organization, personal documents such as medical records and diaries of former prisoners of war. Unfortunately, many documents have been lost due to the effects of war, which restricts the completeness of the sources. The Department of the Federal Archives department manages the documents of the German Wehrmacht, while documents on Allied soldiers can be found in the archives of former war opponents.

Memorial work and historical memory work, which is supported by such projects, are essential in order not to be forgotten the past. The loss of millions of human destinies leaves wounds in history that cannot be healed as long as this is remembered and the education is continued.