The Buchenwald Square in Weimar - Buchenwald Memorial

This is a postcard painting. You can see a war memorial in the centre of a landscaped square. The square is characterised by elaborately tended flowerbeds. The picture emphasises the symmetrical design of the square once again.

German Empire and Weimar Republic 1870 – 1933

The prominently located square at the central link from the main railway station to Weimar city centre has a long tradition as a memorial site. Until 1946, there was a war memorial on today's Buchenwaldplatz, which commemorated the victory and the...

You can see a monument. A bronze horse with rider stands on a pedestal. A bed is laid out around the base of the monument. In the foreground, a path runs through the picture section.

National Socialism 1933 – 1945

On 31 July 1932, the NSDAP became the strongest party in the Thuringian state parliament elections with 42.5 percent of the vote. Under its Gauleiter Fritz Sauckel, a new state government was soon formed - still in alliance with the...

In the foreground of the picture you can see two people with their backs to the photographer. They are wearing large frames. Further back in the picture, 3 people are standing next to a wreath laid on the ground.

The early post-war period 1945 – 1953

After the liberation of Weimar, the city was faced with the question of how to deal with its recent past. The cleansing of the cityscape from relics of the Nazi era began under American occupation. At the same time, a group of former Buchenwald...

You can see a model standing on a table. It consists of miniatures of real buildings arranged around an open space. Within this area, miniatures of trees and parks can be recognised.

Tendering and conception 1954 – 1956

The establishment of a working committee for the erection of a Thälmann memorial on 2 February 1954, initiated by the Weimar district leadership of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), reactivated the efforts that had been repeatedly postponed...

Construction workers can be seen. On the left, a man is carrying wooden slats from left to right. A bricklayer is working on the right. Another worker is standing on a wall in the centre of the picture. Scaffolded buildings can be seen in the background.

The construction of the Thälmann memorial 1957/58

The monument project was generously funded by an advertising campaign, which raised 127,000 marks by the beginning of 1957, and additional lottery funds. In addition, volunteers contributed over 2,000 hours of charitable labour during the construction...

A statue of Ernst Thälmann can be seen in the centre of the picture. Several uniformed youths with flags have gathered around the statue. The scene makes a festive impression.

Thälmann in Weimar - the memorial on the "Platz der 56,000" 1958 – 1990

Just one month after the ceremonial inauguration of the Thälmann memorial, it once again found itself in the spotlight: the opening of the Buchenwald National Memorial on 14 September 1958 made Weimar the centre of the GDR's culture of remembrance for a...

Zu sehen ist Walter Arnold beim modelieren eines Kopfes. Der Kopf steht links auf einem erhöhten Tisch, links davon steht Arnold in einem weißen Kittel und bearbeitet den Kopf mit beiden Händen.

Discussions 1990

On 27 January 1991, the Weimar city council renamed "Platz der 56.000" to "Buchenwaldplatz" and "Lenin-Straße" to "Carl-August-Allee". While the latter was intended to recall classical Weimar, Buchenwaldplatz was now also intended to commemorate the...

You can see a large square on which around 10 people are standing. They are scattered around the square facing a shrouded statue. One of the spectators has a tripod with a camera which is also pointed at the covered statue. Right next to the statue are people getting ready to unveil the monument.

Renewed discussions 2021

In order to reignite the discussion about an appropriate approach to the ambivalent "heroic figure of Ernst Thälmann", the Gesellschaft zur Erforschung der Demokratie-Geschichte (GEDG) and Weimarer Republik e.V. carried out a campaign at the beginning...

Biographies Arnold – Tschierschky – Zimmering

Short biographies of artists and architects who contributed to the design of today's square.

Impressum (Dossier Buchenwaldplatz)

Eine Kooperation der Gesellschaft zur Erforschung der Demokratie-Geschichte (GEDG), des Weimarer Republik e.V., der Stadt Weimar, der Bauhaus-Universität Weimar sowie der Gedenkstätte Buchenwald.

Texte: Marc Bartuschka, Alexander John Bolton, Christian Faludi, Louisa Girrulat, Rikola-Gunnar Lüttgenau