The Battle of Stalingrad marked a turned pointing in World War II. For six months, two massive military forces, each instructed by their respective leader not to cede an inch to the enemy, fought for control of the city that bore the Soviet dictator’s name. The battle ended with the encirclement and destruction of an entire German field army.
Memories of the Battle of Stalingrad come to life in the stories of surviving eyewitnesses. They are also enshrined in monuments that were built to commemorate the battle. Just as with the veterans’ stories, the memorial cultures in Germany and Russia show how differently the battle is remembered in both countries.
The project preserves and explores the memories of both German and Russian veterans from the battle of Stalingrad. Facing Staligrad illustrates competing recollections of the battle, and provides us with two divergent, living cultures of memory.