One Wall Maria Terwiel by innerfields
- ONE WALL
- October 13, 2025
Inauguration: October 9, 2025, 11 am
Location: Schwambzeile 7, 13627 Berlin
The mural “Akkord” created by the renowned Berlin-based artist collective innerfields honors the courage and resistance of Maria Terwiel during the Nazi regime. This significant ONE WALL, located on the façade of an apartment building at Schwambzeile 7 in the Paul-Hertz-Siedlung in Charlottenburg-Nord, was developed in a workshop with students from the Anna-Freud-Schule.
The mural commemorates Maria Terwiel, who resisted National Socialism during World War II. In 1941 and 1942, she duplicated and mailed hundreds of leaflets denouncing Nazi crimes. Together with her fiancé Helmut Himpel, she also supported persecuted Jews. Terwiel was part of a resistance network later referred to by the Nazis as the “Rote Kapelle.” She was arrested in September 1942, sentenced to death in early 1943, and executed at the Berlin-Plötzensee prison on August 5, 1943.
The mural’s motif was developed during a workshop led by innerfields with students from the Anna-Freud-Schule. This creative collaboration allowed the participants to explore Maria Terwiel’s story in depth and contribute their own perspectives to the artwork. Through this joint effort, the young people not only learned artistic techniques, but also formed a deeper connection to the history of resistance against the Nazi regime. The mural “Akkord” reinterprets a historical photo of Maria Terwiel playing an accordion as a powerful symbol. The instrument’s keys turn into those of a typewriter, and the sheet music becomes leaflets—a visual fusion of music and resistance. For Terwiel, artistic expression and political action were inseparable. “Akkord” refers not only to its musical meaning—the simultaneous sounding of multiple notes—but also, in a metaphorical sense, to the unity of people working together toward a common goal.
On October 9, 2025, the new ONE WALL was ceremoniously unveiled with a series of moving speeches. Prof. Dr. Johannes Tuchel, Director of the German Resistance Memorial Center, emphasized the historical significance of Terwiel’s actions and the importance of keeping her memory alive today. Dr. Daniel Aschheim, from the Embassy of the State of Israel, highlighted the relevance of remembrance in modern democratic societies: “The message of this mural is clear: indifference was not an option then, and it is not an option now.”
Susanne Moser, Deputy Chair of the Berliner Leben Foundation and Co-Director of the Komische Oper Berlin, spoke about the role of art in neighborhoods as a driver for education and social cohesion.
Susanne Schade from the German Resistance Memorial Center described the mural as an example of a contemporary culture of remembrance that actively involves young people: “A public memorial has the greatest impact when people from the local community are involved in its development.”
Political scientist David Terwiel expressed his deep gratitude for the political and personal importance of the tribute to his relative.
Amanda Szulczyk, a student from the Anna-Freud-Schule, reflected on the experience: “We learned that art is more than just paint on a wall. It can make courage visible and bring people together.”
Artists Jakob Tory Bardou and Holger Weißflog from innerfields spoke about the inspiring collaboration with the students during the creative process.
The project was realized by the foundation Berliner Leben in cooperation with the German Resistance Memorial Center and with support from the Embassy of the State of Israel in Berlin, the Gewobag, and the Anna-Freud-Schule. It marks the third joint mural project by these partners in the Paul-Hertz-Siedlung—a neighborhood where many streets are named after members of the resistance. The ONE WALL by Paula Marie from 2023 commemorates the Heilmann family, and another ONE WALL by innerfields honors the courage and acts of resistance of Dorothee and Harald Poelchau.
