Why can't Germany complete its Unity Monument?

The Unity Monument in Berlin is planned to be a walkable shell. The idea is that people will be able to step on it, and the monument will tip from one side to the other if enough people gather on one side or the other — which is why the project became popularly known as the "Einheitswippe," or "unity seesaw."

The monument was planned as a commemorative symbol of the peaceful protests carried out by the citizens of East Germany that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and later to German reunification in 1990.

The German Bundestag voted to erect such as monument back in 2007.

But more than three decades after Germany's reunification, the construction of the walkable shell of the "Citizens on the Move" monument remains unfinished, with a dispute now jeopardizing its completion.

The parties involved are two German federal ministries, a Stuttgart agency and a steel construction company based in North Rhine-Westphalia. It's about money, personal sensitivities and a legal tug-of-war.

"Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth and her office are working [...] at full speed to implement the resolutions of the Bundestag on the erection of the Freedom and Unity Monument and to find viable solutions," a spokesperson for the Green politician told DW. The statement provides an idea of how muddled the situation has become.

Many delays

The Unity Monument was supposed to have been inaugurated in 2019. However, this never materialized. Political debates, bureaucratic hurdles, safety concerns and a lack of funds delayed the start of construction and completion.

Meanwhile, the historic plinth, the foundations and the necessary ramp have been completed at the Humboldt Forum in the heart of Berlin. The steel shell could be installed now — but isn't, having landed at the center of the latest dispute blocking the project.

Metal construction company Rohlfing GmbH, in North Rhine-Westphalia, began building the shell in 2020. But three years later, Rohlfing and the Stuttgart-based agency Milla & Partner, which was responsible for the €18 million ($20 million) project, had a falling-out. In December 2023, Rohlfing received notice of termination, as reported by German public broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk. The monument was 85% complete at that point. Since then, the 32 components have been stored in the company's production hall.

Holding the shell 'hostage'

Milla & Partner wants Rohlfing to hand over the shell so that another company can complete the monument, and it has gone to court to make this happen.

"They don't want to hand it over, they're holding it hostage," agency director Johannes Milla todl DW. "In the meantime, the Hamm Higher Regional Court has ruled in our favor: Yes, the shell has to be returned."

But there's a catch. The court has attached a condition to its temporary injunction: €100,000 must be deposited as security. But according to Milla, this security deposit is not their responsibility.

"The bowl has long belonged to the federal government, because we sued on behalf of the federal government," he explained, adding that the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning (BBR) has however refused to pay this deposit, as they claim that it's the agency's problem.

The Stuttgart agency and its contractual partner in Berlin, the BBR, as well as the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), which is overseeing the project, are at loggerheads.

"The delays, increases in construction costs and our fixed costs are making the monument more and more expensive, " said Milla. "We don't have the money. So, we informed the BBR that we need an additional €3 million-€4 million to continue the project."

This negotiation with BBR and BKM has lasted six months. "The problem is being passed back and forth between the BKM and BBR like a hot potato," said Milla.

Metal builder, Milla & Partner file for bankruptcy

A spokeswoman for Minister of State for Culture Roth told DW: "Despite renewed payments by the BBR as part of a payment plan adjusted in favor of the consortium in February 2024, the general contractor has unfortunately not reached a solution to its conflict with the steel constructor it commissioned, which has ultimately led to the current situation."

The federal government has commissioned an external audit to get clarity on the use of funds to date, and the expected costs for the monument's final completion.

Meanwhile, metal construction company Rohlfing is now insolvent. "The insolvency administrator is holding talks with the ARGE and the Federal Office for Building and Regional Planning as to whether the monument should be completed by the company and, if so, under what conditions," a spokesperson for insolvency administrator Frank Schorisch told DW. "A decision has not yet been made, and therefore the return of the parts of the monument that have been manufactured to date is not currently an issue."

In the meantime, the agency Milla & Partner has also filed for insolvency. Work is continuing as normal and, according to Johannes Milla, investors are queuing up to take over the agency.

"We want to keep the monument going; the ball is now in Claudia Roth's court," said Milla. The federal government is trying to find a solution, according to reports from Berlin, and has apparently applied for additional money from the Bundestag Budget Committee.

According to Milla, it's conceivable that the almost-finished shell could end up having to be scrapped and the foundations demolished. "These television images will then go around the world," he warned.

"They will show how Germany is demolishing the monument to freedom and unity 35 years after reunification."

This article was originally written in German.