On Tuesday, 17 June 2025 at 11 a.m., the City of Chemnitz, together with the Association of Victims of Stalinism and the Kaßberg Prison Learning and Memorial Site, will commemorate the popular uprising in the GDR in 1953 at the memorial stele on the site opposite the district court, Hohe Straße 23.
Interested citizens and representatives of the media are invited to attend.
In addition to Lord Mayor Sven Schulze, Dr Martin Böttger, civil rights activist and co-creator of the peaceful revolution, and Superintendent Frank Manneschmidt will address the guests. Sabine Popp will also report on her personal experiences as a contemporary witness. The event will be accompanied by a trumpet trio from the Chemnitz Municipal Music School.
Afterwards, school classes from year 10 onwards will have the opportunity to visit the Kaßberg Prison learning and memorial site; there are still places available. Registration is required at protokoll(at)stadt-chemnitz.de.
The administrative buildings of the City of Chemnitz will be flagged accordingly on this day.
Background
The memorial event is dedicated to the victims of persecution in the Soviet occupation zone between 1945 and 1949 and later in the GDR, as well as to all victims of Stalinist dictatorships after 1945. Around 17 June 1953, there were numerous strikes, mass demonstrations and political protests in almost all East German cities, which led to bloody clashes with the GDR security forces and were violently ended by the military and police.