Street renaming in Graz and Krems: Learning from history

As part of an ongoing confrontation with the past, the city of Krems an der Donau has taken a significant measure. In the future, an accompanying plaque will be installed on Hans-Plöckinger-Straße in Stein, which will point out the problematic past of the man who gave it its name. The board will draw attention to Hans Plöckinger's NSDAP membership and his activities in the Nazi city administration. Furthermore, anti-Semitic elements in his writings are pointed out.

The decision to introduce this measure was made on the recommendation of the “Historians' Advisory Board,” as Edith Blaschitz, research assistant at the University of Krems and member of the advisory board, explains. The advisory board has set itself the goal of supporting the city in contemporary historical issues and consciously pointing out the burdens on personalities associated with National Socialism.

The goal of historical reappraisal

Blaschitz emphasizes that it is important to learn from history. According to her, you can't just ignore what happened: "You have to know about the past and not pretend that it never happened. Learning from history has great relevance for the present."

However, transforming street names comes with challenges. Instead of renaming, additional plaques are generally used to both preserve the original name and provide information about the problematic aspects of the person. In addition, only one street in Krems was renamed, Maria Grengg-Gasse, which is now named after the reform educator Margarethe Schörl. Grengg's name was changed because she openly expressed her admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Gerald Lamprecht, head of the Institute for Jewish Studies at the University of Graz, has also intensively investigated the problem of contaminated street names. He believes that it is essential to promote social discourse. “When a street is renamed, it is important to have this process documented and explained,” says Lamprecht. This is the only way to convey a clear intention of the municipality that people with problematic backgrounds will not be accepted as representatives of the city.

In recent years, a certain norm has become established in Austria: numerous streets receive context panels instead of being renamed. Lamprecht emphasizes that this type of reappraisal is a negotiation process in which society must agree on which values ​​should be represented. This is particularly relevant for future generations and shows a clear path in dealing with history.

These developments in Krems reflect the increasingly growing awareness of the responsibility in dealing with historically burdened names. More information about the background and further discussions on these topics can be found in the article by courier.at be read.