Travel Guide "Remembrance Connects Region Oder-Warta"

56 57 The Space of Fat e The Space of Fat e In the spring of 1945 , Oderland was the scene of the largest battle on German soil at the end of the Second World War in Europe. The fighting for this stretch of land lasted ten weeks. It would be the last open field battle on the continent. Seelow Heights Memorial Situated in the middle of the historic battlefield and against the backdrop of the heavy losses of 1945, this memorial site focuses on remembering the war in terms of dictatorship and democracy. In the end, tens of thousands of soldiers met their death. The victory of the Red Army over the German Armed Forces heralded the fall of Berlin and the end of the Nazi dictatorship. It established a changed European map in a new world order. Since the end of the war, the Soviet monument in Seelow has been telling its heroic story. Later, the Socialist Unity Party of Germany ( SED ) state transformed the place for its own purposes. In the original preserved setting of communist remembrance culture, exhibitions, guided tours, events, and the museum‘s educational programmes provide information and encourage understanding and discus- sion regarding the events of 1945 and the continuing questions of war and peace. When the railway made Germany mobile and accessible in the 19 th cen- tury, that development also left its mark on the Oder-Warthe region. In 1867 , the main line of the Royal Prussian Eastern Railway was completed as the first Prussian state railway from Berlin to Königsberg (East Prussia). The economic development of the agricultural „Berlin hinterland“ increa- sed rapidly. New branch lines were necessary, such as the Oderbruchbahn or the Frankfurt (Oder) to Angermünde line. With the completion and commis- sioning in 1877 , the reception building of Seelow (Mark) station was also opened. The city of Seelow acquired the buil- ding, which is no longer in use, in 2015 . Seelow Museum History Station (Mark) After renovation of the historic station, the building is now the site of a modern museum on the special history of the region in the period of 1930–1960. A museum was opened there after extensive renovations were completed in 2023 . The Seelow (Mark) history station employs exhibits and accounts of experiences to depict the stories of people within the generational period between about 1930 and 1960 . Due to the museum‘s workshop character, the exhibition is constantly developing Address: Am Bahnhof 3 15306 Seelow, Deutschland www.geschichtsstation-seelow.de Open: January-December GPS : 52 ° 33 ‘ 34 . 0 “N 14 ° 21 ‘ 05 . 3 “E Seelow Museum History Station (Mark) i Address: Küstriner Straße 28 a 15306 Seelow, Deutschland www.seelowerhoehen.de Open: January-December GPS : 52 ° 32 ‘ 08 . 5 “N 14 ° 23 ‘ 45 . 8 “E Seelow Heights Memorial i and changing. It also develops and deals with special topics. The museum also features alternating events.