Spandau Citadel

During the Second World War, this fortress served as a secret chemical weapons development centre. The fortress was armed with heavy long-range artillery in early 1945 and became an eyesore for the Red Army during the battle of Berlin. On 1 May 1945, the fortress was surrounded by Soviet troops and negotiations were started with the commanding officers of the garrison (which consisted of a significant number of Waffen-SS soldiers). If the German garrison would surrender themselves before 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the garrison would be spared. Many Waffen-SS soldiers wanted to continue on fighting, but the commanding officers eventually decided to surrender.

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Source

• Text: Kaj Metz
• Photos: Kaj Metz