Memory in Hartheim: Remember the victims of Nazi Euthanasia
Memory in Hartheim: Remember the victims of Nazi Euthanasia
On October 1, around 200 guests of honor gathered in the Hartheim Castle and Memorial Place, a place that was known for cruel Euthanasia practices during the Nazi era. Among those present were relatives and descendants of the victims as well as diplomatic representatives from 20 countries. These meetings are an important opportunity to commemorate almost 30,000 people who were murdered in this facility between 1940 and 1944.
Hartheim Castle served as a Nazi-Euthanasia institution, where many of the victims, some of which came from medicinal and care facilities and partly from concentration camps, suffered a cruel fate. Governor Thomas Stelzer spoke words of commemoration during the commemoration and emphasized the responsibility of the region in dealing with this dark story. He asked the community to make the abyss of the past visible and to be part of a culture of remembrance that meets any extremism and any form of agitation with zero tolerance.
memory and contemporary witness experiences
The emotional memory speech held Nikolaus Habjan, a renowned Nestroy winner who took care of the fate of Friedrich Zawrel, a survivor of the medical experiments at the Vienna "Spiegelgrund". Habjan illustrated how important personal reports are to raise awareness of history. "I only know what was happening here in Hartheim Castle because I was lucky enough to meet Friedrich Zawrel. He opened my eyes," reported Habjan and told about the enthusiasm of the people in the 1930s for Adolf Hitler, who led to the inhuman crimes that should follow.
After the memorial speech, various prayers from representatives from the Catholic and the Evangelical Church as well as the Israelite cultural community were read at the cemetery of the victims. This was significant in two ways, since it not only served the memory, but also strengthened the feeling of community and grief among those present. Then a memorial was handed over to the commemoration to set the Euthanasia victims of Hartheim a lasting souvenir. In addition, an exhibition with works of art by students from the Körnergymnasium Linz was opened, which indicates that the memory of these terrible events also affects the younger generation.
historical context and meaning
October 1 has a special historical meaning, since on this date the grace or gear or gut decree of Adolf Hitler was issued, which formed the legal framework for the euthanasia programs. It is a date that combines the cruel reality of this past with a concrete event that must not be forgotten. The Hartheim Association, founded in 1995, has the goal of creating a space that is shaped by respect and decency in this place of memory and social disputes.
This annual memorial event is not only a funeral service, but also an appeal to everyone who teaches the teachings. The challenges and risks of extremism are still relevant today, and the memory of the victims of Hartheim's victims goes hand in hand with a call to vigilance and commitment to a tolerant society.