The German parliament has voted to create a memorial in Berlin dedicated to the Jehovah's Witnesses who were persecuted under Nazi rule. This decision aims to acknowledge the suffering of this group, often considered "forgotten victims" of the Nazi regime. The memorial will be located in the central Tiergarten park, joining other memorials commemorating Jewish, LGBTQ+, Sinti and Roma, and disabled victims of the Nazis. A project to build a memorial for Polish victims of World War II is also underway.
The foundation responsible for existing memorials will also oversee the Jehovah's Witnesses memorial. This foundation highlighted the denomination's early resistance to the Nazis, their aid to other persecuted groups, and their refusal to conform to Nazi practices like the Hitler salute or joining organizations like the Hitler Youth. Banned shortly after the Nazis seized power in 1933, Jehovah's Witnesses faced persecution, imprisonment in concentration camps, and death. It's estimated that at least 1,700 Jehovah's Witnesses perished under Nazi rule. Culture Minister Claudia Roth emphasized the importance of remembering their suffering and ensuring they are no longer overlooked as victims of Nazism.
