Photo series “East Germany’s Soviet Heritage” – all articles and partial photo series

75 Years – 75 Memorials – Stage 5: The Oderbruch Soviet memorials

Stage 5 of the photo project “75 years – 75 memorials” leads me to the very important Soviet memorials of Oderbruch region, where Red Army crossed Oder River for the first time back in the beginning of 1945. I start this ~90 kilometres ride in Küstrin-Kietz, cycle on the Oder dike Oderdeich to Kienitz, Groß Neuendorf and Letschin as well as Manschnow, Reitwein, Lebus and Booßen, to finish in Frankfurt (Oder)… Read More

75 Years – 75 Memorials – Stage 2: Berlin’s Southeast

Stage 2 of the photo project “75 years – 75 memorials” on May 9th, the Russian Day of Victory, that is Den Pobedy, the memorial tour leads from Blankenfelde-Mahlow via Glasow and Zeuthen to nearby Wildau, then up to Erkner and Grünheide as well as to the memorials in Woltersdorf and Schöneiche… Read More

75 Years – 75 Memorials – Stage 1: Berlin’s Northeast

Stage 1 of the photo project “75 years – 75 memorials”, on May 8th from Berlin-Buch via Bernau, Seefeld and Blumberg, to Ahrensfelde and Berlin-Marzahn, as well as Alt-Hohenschönhausen, Berlin-Lichtenberg, Berlin-Rummelsburg to Berlin-Treptow, where main celebrations take place… Read More

West Berlin’s Soviet Heritage – The Tiergarten Soviet War Memorial

The preliminary final of my photo series “East Germany’s Soviet Heritage” is dedicated to a paradox, that is the first of Berlin’s big Soviet commemorative sites as well as the only Soviet War Memorial on the territory of West Berlin. The monument was guarded by Red Army soldiers around the clock and is located within sight of Brandenburg Gate and Reichstag.… Read More

East Germany’s Soviet Heritage – Löwen-Adler barracks and the Elstal Olympic Village

When hearing of the Olympic Village for the 1936 Berlin Games, then people quickly think about Hitler, the Nazis as well as their making a cult out of Hindenburg, the former WW I hero and later President of the Reich. However also the Soviet Army lodged itself in strategically well located Elstal and its Löwen-Adler Kaserne military barracks, leaving a very interesting melange behind as in the Olympic Village not only a terrific abandoned swimming pool can be seen, but also a mix of clearly recognizable Nazi elements neighbouring with typical Soviet iconography… Read More