Tomorrow is an important date in Europe.
It is the anniversary of the signing of the German Surrender - May 7, 1945.
In Rheims, General Alfred Jodl, signed the unconditional surrender for all German forces to the Allies.
The next day, General Wilhelm Keitel and other German commanders travelled to Berlin, and shortly before midnight signed a similar document, explicitly surrendering to Soviet forces, in the presence of General Georgi Zhukov - the patron patriot of this blog.
The signing ceremony took place in a villa in Karlshorst in the eastern suburbs of Berlin.
The Karlshorst building has been preserved exactly as it was at the signing ceremony.
Until the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the GDR the Soviet Army maintained a presence at the building. The NVA (The National People's Army of the GDR) also kept a ceremonial guard in Karlshorst.
Today it is a place which is frequently visited by soldiers of the Bundeswehr.
It continues to be a monument and reminder to the evils that were done by the nazis and the sacrifices made by soldiers of the Soviet Army.
The villa in Karlshorst is now a German - Russian museum. More information about it under
http://www.museum-karlshorst.de
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1 comment:
During the lifetime of the GDR, Karlhorst was a venue where young Berliners 'signed on' as members of the FDJ - Free German Youth. They also called themselves 'Young Pioneers'.
It was 'more or less' obligatory for young East Germans to join the FDJ.
There would be those who would say that it was the GDR's 'Confirmation' ceremony.
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