Köpenick Blood Week: Nazi SA’s 1933 reign of terror remembered

Berlin’s Köpenick Blood Week Memorial exposes Nazi SA brutality in 1933

A memorial in Berlin honours the victims of the Köpenick Blood Week, a violent chapter in June 1933. The site, once a detention centre for political prisoners, now serves as a place of reflection and historical education. Visitors can explore its permanent exhibition without charge during set opening hours.

The events began on June 21, 1933, after the Nazi government banned the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the German National Combat Ring. SA units responded by arresting Social Democrats, Communists, and Jews across Köpenick. Five days later, at least 500 people had been abducted and tortured, with 23 confirmed deaths.

The violence intensified when a Social Democrat resisted arrest and killed three SA members. This act triggered further brutality, as the SA expanded its raids and detentions. The former Köpenick District Court Prison, now the memorial site, became a central location for these atrocities. In 1980, sculptor Herbert Baumann proposed the creation of a memorial at Puchanstr. 12. That same year, the Committee of Anti-Fascist Resistance Fighters established a 'Tradition Room' on the site. The memorial was later reopened in 2013 with a redesigned exhibition. Today, it examines the Blood Week within the broader context of Nazi persecution across Germany.

The Köpenick Blood Week Memorial remains open to the public on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 AM to 6 PM, and on weekends from 2 PM to 6 PM. Free admission ensures access for all visitors. The site continues to play a key role in preserving the memory of those targeted during this period.