The letter "Z" on the brickwork, a white-blue-red flag on the roof: Unknown people "decorate" the tower of the former Potsdam state parliament building with Russian flags - and banned symbols. Now the police are investigating.
On the tower of the old state parliament building in Potsdam, which is popularly known as the "Kremlin", unknown persons have attached a Russian flag and forbidden Z symbols. Today, Saturday, a white-blue-red tricolor could be seen on the Brauhausberg above the roofs of the city, the "Z" was painted on the brickwork.
The "Tagesspiegel" reports that the Russian flag has been visible on the roof of the tower since Thursday afternoon. Police are investigating trespassing and property damage. According to the West Police Department, the owner of the building was asked to remove the symbols.
A Russian flag was already flying over the empty and dilapidated building last summer. According to the police, there is frequent vandalism on the area where the Potsdam state parliament met until 2013. A year ago, young people rioted on the site and threw windows. Because of the vastness, it is difficult to identify the perpetrators.
In the GDR, the building housed the SED district and district administration. It got the nickname "Kremlin". The historic building, which was sold to a Berlin real estate company, is to be renovated and converted into apartments and commercial premises. The conversion was actually supposed to start last year, but was postponed due to the increase in construction costs.
Since the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, a white Z has often been seen on Russian tanks and uniforms. It stands for "za pobedu" ("For victory"). The sign has become a symbol of support for Russia. If the Z is used in connection with the Russian war of aggression, that fulfills the initial suspicion of a criminal offense, Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stübgen announced last March.
