Lenin Monument

The Lenin Monument stood in Friedrichshain, a district of East Berlin. It was a 19-metre red-granite statue of Lenin by Soviet sculptor Nikolai Tomsky. The figure showed Lenin with a flag, and the back displayed a relief of German and Soviet workers shaking hands. The plaza, originally called Lenin Square, was designed by architect Hermann Henselmann for a new housing project. It opened in 1950 and became a gathering place for official ceremonies. The monument was unveiled on 19 April 1970 to mark Lenin’s centenary. Around 200,000 people attended, with speeches by East German leader Walter Ulbricht and Soviet Ambassador Peter Abrassimov. After reunification, the district council decided to remove it. Opponents argued for its preservation, while supporters saw it as a symbol of oppression. The statue was dismantled in 1991–92 and buried in pieces outside the city. Today the square is called United Nations Square. A small fountain now marks the former base. The head of the statue was dug up in 2015 and has been on display at Spandau Citadel since 2016. The Citadel’s permanent exhibition shows how Berlin treats its political monuments. The site remains a quiet urban space near tram and U-Bahn stops.