Langenstein (dpa/sa) - The state of Saxony-Anhalt has exercised the right of first refusal on the tunnel system of the Langenstein-Zwieberge memorial cultural monument. This was announced by the State Chancellery on Friday. An insolvency administrator had sold six plots of land on the outskirts of the memorial to a private buyer without informing the state of the sale in advance. According to the state monument protection law, the municipality and the state have a right of first refusal in the event of a property sale on which an immovable, protected cultural monument is located. This has now been exercised.
With the right of first refusal, the state is acting in place of the buyer and will make it available to the Saxony-Anhalt Memorials Foundation in the future. Part of the tunnel system from 1945 is located in the affected area in the Harz district. The memorial commemorates the prisoners from 23 countries of the Langenstein-Zwieberge subcamp. From April 1944 to April 1945 they had to drive a 13-kilometer tunnel system into the Thekenberge near Halberstadt. As a result of the physical exertion and poor nutrition, almost 2,000 prisoners died within twelve months.
