Historical moment: Solard cemetery in Vienna ceremoniously handed over!

Historical moment: Solard cemetery in Vienna ceremoniously handed over!

Wiener Zentralfriedhof, Österreich - On January 17, 2025, the German soldier cemetery at the Vienna Central Cemetery, Group 97, was officially handed over to the Republic of Austria in a moving ceremony. significant personalities from both countries took part in this historical handover, including Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Vito Cecere. The event was made by high -ranking representatives of the Volksbund Deutsche Wargräberfürsorge, as General Wolfgang Schneiderhan and General a. D. Dirk Backen, accompanied. At the center of the ceremony was the symbolic handover of the death book, which documented the names of 7.297 German soldiers buried in the cemetery - a powerful testimony of memory and commemoration for the future. The interior minister underlined the importance of cemeteries as a places of respect and dialogue as well as the responsibility associated with the care of the historical heritage. His words on the fragility of peace and freedom were particularly urgent in October 2023 in view of current events in Ukraine and the terrorist attack on Israel.

common memory work

The Jewish soldier's cemetery was already renovated in the same place to commemorate the over 30,000 Jewish soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War. This important restoration was carried out on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the start of the war and illustrates how significant the culture of memory in Austria is. The opening of the newly renovated cemetery took place on August 22, 2024, led by Interior Minister Karner, Minister of Defense Klaudia Tanner and Oskar Deutsch, the President of the Israelite cultural community in Vienna. In this ceremony, the use of Jewish soldiers was recognized, whose history was often forgotten. Karner emphasized that it was a responsibility to keep the memories of these soldiers awake and to stand up against anti -Semitism. The day ended with an emotional wreath laying, in which the presence of descendants of fallen soldiers moved particularly.

thus combines the fact that both cemeteries are now under the care of Austria, not only national identity and history, but also to always promote common responsibility, peace and reconciliation. The handover of the German soldier's cemetery and the renovation of the Jewish soldier's cemetery represent significant steps to take the inheritance of the past into the future, such as ots.at and bmi.gv.at Report