On October 17, the Statue of Peace “Ari,” which had been installed in Berlin, Germany, was abruptly removed. Since its erection on September 28, 2020, the Berlin Statue of Peace Ari has been subjected to persistent pressure from the Japanese government to remove it. Beginning last year, the Mitte District Office cited the expiration of the artwork’s “two-year temporary installation period” as grounds for removal of the statue.
In response, the Korea Verband, members of the Mitte District Assembly, and German civil society strongly opposed the removal, arguing that the demand was unjust. They emphasized that Ari, which commemorates victims of sexual violence and symbolizes human rights and peace, must remain in place. Public protests and legal actions challenging the removal have continued.
Against this backlash, the Korean Council held a special public lecture on November 6, titled “Ari Is Hope!: The Status of the Statues of Peace in Germany and Their Meaning in German Society.” The event featured Jung-hwa Han, Executive Director of the Korea Verband, and Deniz Klein, a counselor at the women’s counseling center Paula, to examine the current situation surrounding the Statues of Peace in Germany and explore their significance within German society.
In her presentation, titled “Ari Is Hope: The Struggle for the Statues of Peace in Germany and Their Meaning,” Han explained the significance of the establishment of the Berlin Statue of Peace Ari, the history of repeated threats of removal, and the solidarity and struggle for peace and women’s human rights that have emerged around the statue.
Deniz Klein of the Paula counseling center spoke under the theme “Enforced Silence: The Intergenerational Impact of Sexual Violence.” Drawing on her experience working at Paula, a women’s counseling center for women aged 60 and above, she explained the trauma experienced by women who survived sexual violence during and after war, and the reasons many were unable to speak about their experiences for decades. She shared that the Statue of Peace gave women survivors of sexual violence in Köln the courage to speak about their experiences, and that through collective dialogue and solidarity, healing became possible. She also introduced the “ Köln Story Café,” a program created to support this process of shared storytelling and trauma recovery.
The Statue of Peace stands as a universal symbol of women’s human rights, calling attention to wartime sexual violence that continues to occur around the world today. It also represents a collective global commitment to confront painful histories and to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated, a shared path toward peace.
The Korean Council will continue to stand in unwavering solidarity so that the Berlin Statue of Peace Ari may find a new home and remain permanently, protecting the values of women’s human rights and peace.
In response, the Korea Verband, members of the Mitte District Assembly, and German civil society strongly opposed the removal, arguing that the demand was unjust. They emphasized that Ari, which commemorates victims of sexual violence and symbolizes human rights and peace, must remain in place. Public protests and legal actions challenging the removal have continued.
Against this backlash, the Korean Council held a special public lecture on November 6, titled “Ari Is Hope!: The Status of the Statues of Peace in Germany and Their Meaning in German Society.” The event featured Jung-hwa Han, Executive Director of the Korea Verband, and Deniz Klein, a counselor at the women’s counseling center Paula, to examine the current situation surrounding the Statues of Peace in Germany and explore their significance within German society.
In her presentation, titled “Ari Is Hope: The Struggle for the Statues of Peace in Germany and Their Meaning,” Han explained the significance of the establishment of the Berlin Statue of Peace Ari, the history of repeated threats of removal, and the solidarity and struggle for peace and women’s human rights that have emerged around the statue.
The Statue of Peace stands as a universal symbol of women’s human rights, calling attention to wartime sexual violence that continues to occur around the world today. It also represents a collective global commitment to confront painful histories and to ensure that such atrocities are never repeated, a shared path toward peace.
The Korean Council will continue to stand in unwavering solidarity so that the Berlin Statue of Peace Ari may find a new home and remain permanently, protecting the values of women’s human rights and peace.