German Resistance Memorial Center

The German Resistance Memorial Center at the Bendlerblock building complex commemorates German resistance against National Socialism. The centre of the memorial is an honourary court-yard where resistance fighters were executed on 20 July 1944. On the second floor of the centre, an exhibition provides information about the German resistance during the war.

The Bendlerblock building complex was built between 1911 and 1914 for the Imperial Navy Office. After the Great War, the newly created Department of National Defence moved into the building. During the era of National Socialism, sections of the Admirality as well as the Office for Foreign Affairs/Defence were based in the Bendlerblock. The High Command of the armed forces also had its seat here, whose leader General Friedrich Olbricht worked on the coup plan against Hitler.

Starting in 1943, Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was Chief of Staff of the General Army Office and thus took part in the discussions on the course of the war being held at the Führer`s headquarters “Wolfschanze.” On 20 July 1944, he attempted to assassinate Hitler with a bomb. Yet Hitler somehow managed to survive and thus the attempted coup came to an end.

On that very same night, resistance fighters Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, Friedrich Ol-bricht, Albrecht Ritter Mertz von Quirnheim and Werner von Haeften were executed in what is now the honourary courtyard of Bendlerblock.

On 20 July 1952, the foundation-stone was laid for a monument in the inner courtyard. One year later, the mayor of Berlin, Ernst Reuter, revealed the monument. On 20 July 1968, a memorial and education centre opened along with a permanent exhibition about German resistance to National Socialism.