In the Gardelegen region, numerous memorial stones commemorate the victims of the death marches in the final days of World War II. The white, rectangular stones with a red triangle were erected starting in the mid-1960s along the former march routes. They mark the path the prisoners had to travel from the Mieste and Letzlingen train stations to the Isenschnibbe barn and stand at regular intervals of approximately 500 meters as silent witnesses to their suffering.
Of the original 75 memorial stones erected, 68 remain today. Many of them are maintained by volunteers, whether by private individuals, businesses, or organizations. However, some stones, particularly in remote areas such as the Zichtau Hellberge Mountains, are difficult to access and remain without regular maintenance. To ensure the long-term preservation of the monuments, the maintenance of the memorial stones is supported and regularly updated.
These memorial stones serve as a stark reminder of the gruesome events of the death marches and commemorate the countless prisoners who lost their lives. They are not only symbols of remembrance, but also a call to keep the memory alive and learn lessons from the past.