09/17/2025
We need your help! The Berlin Statue of Peace is Under Threat
Just as the Japanese government did when we sought to erect a comfort women memorial in Atlanta, and which it has continuously done since the 1930s, the Japanese government refuses to acknowledge (and outright denies) the human trafficking and sexual enslavement of hundreds of thousands of women and girls during World War II. And the governments active denial and distortion of history has worked on many individuals and groups.
Case in point: the Statue of Peace in Berlin’s Mitte District is once again facing removal. On September 2025, the district authorities issued an order requiring Korea Verband, the German civic group that installed the statue, to remove it by October 7th or face a fine of €3,000. (Yonhap News) Korea Verband has taken the case to court, filing for the cancellation of the removal order. The case is currently ongoing.
Local Civil Society Response has been strong.
The Berlin community has shown remarkable solidarity. Thousands of local residents have signed petitions calling for the statue to remain permanently at its current location. Civil society voices in Berlin continue to highlight the statue’s role in preserving memory, fostering dialogue, and honoring the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery. 👉 Sign a petition: https://chng.it/C7xDsWYVDd
Sadly, it's no longer hard to believe that even large governments could or would engage in historical revisionism and distortion to achieve a political goal versus speaking truth. Thanks to the United Nations Human Rights bodies for recently demanding that Japan resolve the comfort women issue, for the survivors and various NGOs (including CARE) for their advocacy, and most of all thanks to Phyllis Kim and Comfort Women Action for Redress and Education for sharing the information and call to action above!
Protect the "Comfort Women" Statue of Peace in Berlin
