독일 카셀대 평화의 소녀상 기습 철거 - 위기에 놓인 평화의 목소리
[Date Registered] 2024-03-22 [Views] 2784
The Peace Monument (Statue of Peace) installed at the University of Kassel in Germany was suddenly removed the day after International Women’s Day (March 8th) last year1. Local civic organizations, including Korea Verband e.V., announced a strong intention to respond to the removal2.
< Former installation site of the Peace Monument at the University of Kassel, a place with little foot traffic - Source: Correspondent photo >
In Germany, a memorial dedicated to reflecting on the history of the Holocaust is located in the middle of the capital, Berlin333. The 'Stumbling Stone Project' (stolpersteine project), where brass plates engraved with information such as the residence and survival period of Holocaust victims are installed in front of the victims' former homes, is commonly found across the country444. Why, then, did the removal of the Peace Monument occur in Germany?
The public space where the statue was installed was managed by the General Student Committee (AStA) of the University of Kassel5. The AStA received official permission from the university administration for the statue's installation for the international contemporary art festival, **'Kassel Documenta'**6. The statue was erected on July 8, 2022, following official authorization7.
Subsequently, the Peace Monument at the University of Kassel faced pressure from the Japanese Consul General in Frankfurt8. Just three days after the statue’s installation, the Japanese Consul General met with the President of the University of Kassel and argued that **"the statue could jeopardize peace in the Kassel region by promoting anti-Japanese sentiment"**9. Ultimately, the statue was removed based on the decision of the university administration10.
< Scene from the Wednesday Demonstration with the phrase: 'The Peace Monument must remain! (Die Friedenstatue muss bleiben!)' - Source: Correspondent photo >
On April 26, 2023, Ms. Hong So-hyun, a resident near Kassel, and Tobias Schnur, the chairman of the General Student Committee at the University of Kassel, expressed distress when asked about the statue at the **'Statue Keeper Wednesday Demonstration'**111111. Ms. Hong So-hyun first stated, "I know the University of Kassel is storing the statue somewhere in a warehouse, but I don't know the exact location. AStA (German student self-governance body) doesn't know either. There is no promise of whether we can get the statue back"121212.
Tobias Schnur, chairman of the General Student Committee at the University of Kassel who led the installation planning, stated, "Sexual violence against women is a highly significant issue that is still happening today," and that **"the Statue of Peace, which symbolizes this matter, was one of the few places where students at the University of Kassel could show solidarity"**131313. A gathering to retrieve the statue continues to take place every Wednesday at the location where the statue once stood on the University of Kassel campus141414.
< An empty chair remaining after the statue was removed - Source: Correspondent photo >
During World War II, the Japanese military established 'Comfort Stations' in occupied territories and garrisons and forcibly mobilized women15. The methods were divided into 'abduction and kidnapping' and **'recruitment'**16. The former involved being kidnapped by private contractors, officials, police, or the military17. The latter involved job fraud facilitated by the Japanese Government-General of Korea or delegated to private contractors18. Numerous women became victims of sexual exploitation not only in Korea but also in six other countries19.
The first Peace Monument was erected on December 14, 2011, in front of the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Korea20. It was constructed by the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan to commemorate the 1,000th Wednesday Demonstration21. The clause in the 2015 agreement between the Foreign Ministers of Korea and Japan stating they would "strive to resolve the issue related to the Peace Monument installed in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul through consultation with relevant organizations" drew strong resistance from civic groups22. This resistance led to the installation of over 120 Peace Monuments both domestically and internationally23.
Suzuko Shirota (pseudonym) was the first and last Japanese victim to testify about her experience as a comfort woman24. She testified seven years earlier than Kim Hak-sun, the first Korean comfort woman victim to speak out25. Pastor Fumio Fukatsu, who heard her testimony, erected the first memorial stone, which is located in Kanita's Village, Tateyama City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan26.
As the history of the Peace Monument shows, conveying the voices of the victims of the Japanese military's sexual slavery is a symbolic act to prevent the repetition of colonial history27. It is not about opposing a specific country or needing to divide into camps based on nationality28. As of March 2024, there are 9 survivors of Japanese military sexual slavery remaining in the Republic of Korea292929.