BONN, Germany — On the count of three, “Frieden” — the German word for “peace” — echoed through a crowd of 50 people gathered on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Bonn. As the Statue of Peace emerged from beneath a purple veil, paper butterflies fluttered in the sunlight behind the bronze figure, symbolizing remembrance and resistance.

The unveiling marked the official installation of a statue commemorating the victims of Japan’s wartime military sexual slavery, euphemistically referred to as “comfort women.”

Its journey to a permanent home has been long and fraught, with activists criticizing what they describe as persistent interference by the Japanese government to prevent its erection.

After four years of displacement from Dresden to Cologne, the statue has now found a permanent home at the Bonn Women’s Museum, the world’s first museum dedicated to women’s art and history, established in 1981.

Marianne Pitzen, founder and director of the museum, offered to host the statue despite ongoing diplomatic tension, saying “women’s honor prevails over Japan’s claims that it had not committed such wartime sexual violence.”

“It (placing the statue here) is a sign of solidarity. We have the power to end the wars. It is really important that we fight for freedom and against violence,” Pitzen told The Korea Herald after the ceremony, calling the statue living proof of resistance against war.

Named Dongmai, the memorial was first displayed at a museum in Dresden in April 2021, then followed by a brief exhibition in Wolfsburg the next year. For much of the time, however, it remained in storage. In March, it was exhibited for three months in front of the Cologne NS Documentation Center before finally finding a permanent home in Bonn.

In Europe, there are currently six Statues of Peace — five in Germany and one in Italy — with Germany becoming a key battleground in the fight to preserve the memory of wartime sexual slavery and seek justice for its victims.

“None of the statues have had it easy due to the Japanese government’s continued interference. Statues were erected only to be taken down, put into storage and moved again,” said Yee Kyung-hee, president of the Masan-Changwon-Jinhae Civil Assembly for Japanese Military Sexual Slaves, an advocacy group supporting the victims. She traveled from Korea for the unveiling.

“Beyond Korea-Japan relations, this is an international issue — a matter of whether women’s rights are upheld,” she said, pointing to ongoing wars around the world where women continue to fall victim to sexual violence.

Indeed, the statue has faced numerous challenges both in Korea and Germany. In Korea, there have been multiple reports of vandalism and incidents where victims were publicly defamed.

In Berlin, the statue, installed in 2020, has repeatedly come under threat of removal, amid alleged diplomatic pressure from the Japanese government on the Berlin city government and the district of Mitte. The Berlin statue is the only one installed on public land, with all others standing on private property.

Just a day before the unveiling in Bonn, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reportedly expressed “strong regret” over the statue’s permanent placement, stating it would continue demanding “appropriate responses” from relevant parties.

Han Jung-hwa, chair of Korea Verband, a Berlin-based civic group responsible for the statue in Berlin, expressed frustration that the issue continues to be politicized.

“Regardless of political stance, this is a matter of humanity,” Han said. “We hope that the statue spreads a message of peace.”

Following the passing of Lee Ok-sun, aged 97, in May, only six registered survivors remain in South Korea, most in their late 90s and in frail health.

Saturday’s event also featured performances by a Korean artist collective, The Fifth Voice, invited by the Masan-Changwon-Jinhae citizens’ group. Artists Han Dae-soo, Jang Soon-hyang and Bae Dallae each performed solo pieces through ritual, dance and performance art to honor the victims and convey their enduring pain.

“It is very beautiful and moving. What I like most is the caring and soft way of honoring the survivors,” said Julia Sattler, 37, a Bonn resident watching the performances. “I am happy that the statue has found a home here, a symbol of survivors of violence.”

Among the attendees were Koreans living in Germany. Jung Jina, 39, said that the statue’s presence in a country that has publicly acknowledged and apologized for its wartime atrocities makes it particularly meaningful.

“As Japan is still trying to block the installation of peace statues across Germany, I hope this statue helps raise awareness among Europeans. That would bring great comfort to the victims,” she said.

At the end of the ceremony, participants waved strips of white fabric and danced along a long white cotton banner, which gradually evolved into a traditional Korean circle dance, ganggangsullae, performed in remembrance and honor of the victims.

The Fifth Voice began their tour on Friday in Frankfurt, followed by performances in Bonn and Kassel. The tour will conclude with a final performance on Thursday in Berlin in front of the city’s own Statue of Peace.

(laeticia.ock@gmail.com)

Ock Hyun-ju is a contributing writer for The Korea Herald, based in Germany. -- Ed.