The Statue of Peace in Berlin, dedicated to the victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, commonly known as “comfort women,” is at the center of a controversy that could lead to its removal. Initially installed in late September 2020 the statue portrays a young girl in traditional Korean attire, representing the many women forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese military during World War II. The statue, also intended as a broader symbol of the traumas of sexual violence, has created diplomatic tensions, with Japan repeatedly urging Germany to remove it due to its historical implications.
The controversies surrounding Berlin’s Peace Statue began in October 2020, just a month after it was installed, when the Berlin Mitte District Office revoked the statue’s permit, citing concerns that it might incite hostility and counteract reconciliation efforts. Stephan von Dassel, the district mayor from the environmentalist Green Party, argued that the statue dealt with a politically sensitive issue between Japan and South Korea, which he believed was inappropriate for Germany to address. He emphasized that the district government must prioritize German interests, particularly concerning German-Japanese relations.
Korea Verband, a pivotal voice for the German Korean community, faced an order to remove the statue by October 14. They filed an emergency application with the Berlin Administrative Court, which temporarily halted the removal. The legal maneuvers by the Berlin Mitte District Office ignited public backlash, rallying 300 supporters in Berlin who demanded the statue remain. Reflecting the growing support, the Berlin-Mitte district assembly, Green party members among them, began pushing for a permanent installation of the statue.
In the years that followed, Korea Verband continued its efforts to secure the statue’s place, resulting in a series of extensions, including a significant two-year renewal granted by the district assembly in November 2022. Han Jung-hwa, the chairwoman of Korea Verband, gained international recognition for her ongoing fight to save the Statue of Peace.
During a recent visit to Japan, Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner of the center-right CDU hinted at a “solution” to the ongoing statue controversy, emphasizing the importance of balanced representations that reflect the good nature of German-Japanese ties. Berlin Mitte’s current district mayor, Stefanie Remlinger of the Green Party, also supports the statue’s removal, and has referenced public art guidelines as justification. Despite a non-binding mid-September vote by the Berlin-Mitte District Assembly to make the statue a permanent fixture, the district office decided to proceed with its removal due to the expiration of the permit. As of now, the statue remains in place.
Wegner’s remarks in Japan have fueled growing resistance, with many believing that the removal reflects undue external influence. Outside pressure has been a part of the story around the Peace Statue right from the beginning. As early as September 29, 2020, Japanese Cabinet secretary and government spokesperson Kato Katsunobu announced plans to pursue the statue’s removal. Allegedly, Japan’s then-Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu even raised the issue with then German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of the center-left SPD.
Japan appears to be exerting influence in Berlin, applying diplomatic pressure not only to push for the statue’s removal but also to impact funding decisions for projects that highlight its significance. Korea Verband’s educational initiative, “Setz dich neben mich,” (sit down next to me) has used the Peace Statue as an educational tool to raise awareness about sexual violence in wartime. However, recent developments suggest that Japan’s diplomatic efforts may have played a role in denying crucial funding to the project. According to rbb (Berlin Brandenburg Public Television), a call from Wegner and a series of dinner invitations from the Japanese embassy in Berlin appear to have influenced the committee overseeing the funding.
Anonymous sources report that these embassy-led gatherings encouraged committee members to vote against the Korea Verband project, alleging that the statue promotes a “one-sided narrative” that risks fostering anti-Japanese sentiments. This raises serious questions about the impact of foreign influence on Berlin’s cultural funding.
The case of Berlin’s Peace Statue is not an outlier. In a growing global movement to honor the legacy of comfort women, statues have been erected in various countries, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, with the first one being installed adjacent to the Japanese embassy in Seoul. These memorials have often created diplomatic tensions, as Japan typically perceives them as national affronts rather than neutral historical monuments.
In Germany, two Peace Statues stand on private property in addition to the one in Berlin. The first public initiative for such a statue in Freiburg was thwarted in 2017 due to Japanese diplomatic opposition. As a result, the sculpture found a home in the Nepal-Himalaya Park in Wiesent near Regensburg in southern Germany. Another memorial stands on the grounds of the Korean Evangelical Church Rhine-Main in Frankfurt.
A third statue was also placed at Campusgarten at the University of Kassel for a short period in the summer of 2022. Initially created by the Kassel University ASTA (General Student Committee) as a temporary installation, the Kassel statue likewise became a point of contention. Despite calls from student activists and Korea Verband for its permanent placement, the university removed it six months after its installation, citing the end of an agreed extension period. According to a university spokesperson, the decision was purely procedural; permanent installations, they noted, are required to have clear educational relevance and senate approval, which the statue did not secure. Korea Verband, however, condemned the removal, labeling it as devious and disrespectful, and criticized the university for making the decision without further consultation.
One might dismiss the skirmishes surrounding these statues as insignificant, or even go so far as to label the Peace Statue itself as “problematic” for stirring up international tensions. Many Germans underestimate the statue’s significance, perceiving it as unrelated to Germany’s history. Yet, a clear historical link exists between Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire. There are many parallels between Japan’s “comfort women” system and the Nazi-era concentration camp and Wehrmacht brothels. Furthermore, Germany is home to a diverse range of migrants who bring with them their own histories, not least the German-Korean community.
As a nation known for its commitment to WWII remembrance, Germany now faces a crucial test with the Peace Statue controversy. This issue highlights a core tension in Germany’s human rights commitment: the moral imperative of confronting historical atrocities versus the diplomatic risks of straining ties with Japan, a key East Asian ally. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of the Green Party has championed a values-driven foreign policy. Shouldn’t this policy align with German values by defending remembering the victims of Japan’s WWII atrocities against revisionist pressures?
If Germany truly intends to place values at the forefront of its foreign policy – and if it is serious about upholding its responsibility to remember the victims of WWII atrocities, including those in East Asia – it must hold Japan accountable on this matter.