Culture of remembrance in Steglitz-Zehlendorf: memorial walk for euthanasia

Culture of remembrance in Steglitz-Zehlendorf: memorial walk for euthanasia

On September 25, 2025, a special series of events will take place in Berlin to remember the victims of the Nazi “euthanasia” murders. Under the title “Bringing the Blue Wall to Steglitz-Zehlendorf”, the focus is on the central memorial and information center at Tiergartenstrasse 4, where over 300,000 victims of the systematic killings are honored. The initiative is supported by the Partnership for Democracy, the Zukunftssicherung Berlin e.V., the Förderkreis Memorial T4 e.V. and Eileen Moritz, the representative for people with disabilities in Steglitz-Zehlendorf, for example through memorial walks and an accompanying exhibition.

The memorial site on Tiergartenstrasse opened on September 2, 2014, exactly 75 years after Hitler's “euthanasia” program was enacted. This place is of central importance for coming to terms with National Socialist crimes. It reminds us of the systematic extermination of mentally ill and disabled people as well as other people considered “racially” or socially undesirable. At the opening, Minister of State for Culture Monika Grütters emphasized the importance of remembrance work, which is still essential today. The round table at Tiergartenstrasse 4, initiated in 2007 by Professor Dr. Andreas Nachama and others, has since helped raise awareness of this terrible part of history.

Memorial walk and exhibition

A memorial walk will take place on October 9, 2025, starting at 11:30 a.m. at the memorial site at Ihnestrasse 22, a former institute also associated with eugenics. The walk leads to several important places, including the Stolperstein for Ms. Blankenhorn in Leydenallee and the former “Haus Kinderschutz”. The event is barrier-free, with five places on the bus provided for people with walking difficulties who must be registered in advance.

As part of the series of events, an exhibition entitled “Bringing the Blue Wall to Steglitz-Zehlendorf” will also be opened. This will take place on November 13, 2025 in the Ingeborg Drewitz Library. The event is designed to be equally inclusive for people with and without disabilities, with a clearly structured program that also includes image presentations. Adequate accessibility is ensured, so access options are available via a DIN-compliant ramp and an elevator. There will also be sign language interpreters if needed, and attendance is limited to 50 people.

Historical context of euthanasia programs

The National Socialists' "euthanasia" programs began with the "Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring," which was passed in July 1933 and permitted forced sterilization. Around 350,000 to 400,000 people in Germany were sterilized under these conditions. The cruel logic of the National Socialists in their search for a “purer” people ultimately led to the mass killing of people who did not conform to popular racial ideals.

“Aktion T4”, which from 1939 envisaged the systematic killing of sick and disabled people through the use of doctors and gas chambers, describes one of the darkest phases of this history. In total, up to 300,000 people are said to have been murdered during the campaign and the activities that followed. These crimes also gained international attention, and resistance to the practices, such as the legendary sermon by Bishop Clemens August Graf von Galen, contributed to the subsequent coming to terms with these atrocities.

The daily remembrance and memorial events at Tiergartenstrasse 4, which have been taking place since 2007, are a step in the right direction to keep the stories and fates of the victims alive. The place of remembrance is visited annually by people from all over the world who want to deal with the crimes of the past and whose messages continue to be relevant.

For further information about the series of events and to register, please visit the websites of Berlin.de, Euthanasie-Gedenken.de and bpb.de.