Memorial of the city of Wahlstedt

The memorial of the town of Wahlstedt, located behind the picturesque Bible Garden, is an impressive monument that recalls the horrors of both world wars. Unlike many other war memorials that commemorate local fallen soldiers, this memorial focuses on the symbolic sites of horror from both wars. It commemorates the battlefields, the towns that were destroyed by bombing raids and the extermination camps of the Second World War. The centerpiece of the site is a five-meter-high granite cross erected on a prehistoric burial mound. It bears the moving text: "All the suffering in the world is small before God's future". The memorial stones on the site commemorate the suffering of Wehrmacht soldiers, victims of the extermination camps, displaced persons, civilian bombing victims in Germany and political prisoners. For history buffs and pilgrims on the Monks' Trail (Mönchsweg), the Wahlstedt memorial offers a profound historical experience. By clicking on a web link on their smartphone, visitors can obtain background information on the places of horror mentioned on the memorial stones. The website also provides information about the role of Wahlstedt and the Naval Artillery Arsenal in the Second World War.