Monument of Common Memory, Wrocław

The Monument of Common Memory is a memorial in Park Grabiszyński spanning roughly 60 meters in length and 4 meters in height, incorporating original German gravestones within its granite structure. The site stands where a former crematorium once operated and features a granite gate inscribed with Monumentum Memoriae Communis.

The monument was unveiled in 2008 to commemorate former Wrocław residents whose graves were removed from roughly 120 cemeteries between 1957 and 1970. This removal occurred during a period of significant change in the city following World War II, when many older burial sites disappeared.

The memorial is divided into four sections representing Catholic, Evangelical, Municipal, and Jewish cemeteries, reflecting the religious diversity of Wrocław in earlier times. Visitors can observe this separation as they walk around the structure and understand how different communities coexisted in the city.

The memorial site is easy to find thanks to the inscription at the granite gate entrance and sits within a park setting suitable for walking. Allow time to explore all four sections and read the names displayed on the central horizontal slab.

The structure contains 32 unevenly sized granite fragments intentionally varied to symbolize the diversity of the people it honors. These irregular stones create a moving visual statement that does not seek order but instead reflects the variety of the former residents commemorated here.