Salzburg: The first renaming of a Nazi-contaminated street decided

Salzburg: The first renaming of a Nazi-contaminated street decided

After intensive discussions about the renaming of streets, which are named according to people with burdened Nazi history, the City of Salzburg's cultural committee took an important step on Thursday. The renaming of a street in the Parsch district was decided. The municipal council must still confirm this project, but this is considered a matter of form. So far, only four percent of the streets have been named in the city.

The proposal concerns Heinrich-Damisch-Straße, which has come to criticism due to the questionable past of the namesake. Heinrich Damisch was not only known as a co -founder of the Salzburg Festival, but also as a demonstrable supporter of National Socialism, which is an essential reason for the renaming. In the future, the street is to bear the name of actress Helene Thimig, which stands for democratic values and was closely connected to the festival.

opinions on renaming

The decision to renamed met different reactions. SPÖ, KPÖ Plus and the citizen list support the project while the ÖVP and the FPÖ are against it. FPÖ councilor Paul Dürnberger said that a separation between the work of an artist and his personal entanglements was possible and that reason should be maintained. There had already been a narrow majority against changes in the previous parish council period.

With the renaming, the city of Salzburg goes into a pilot project to gain experience that should be helpful in future renaming streets. The current renaming is the first of a total of 13 streets, the names of which are potentially problematic. A historian commission had previously examined the entanglements of these people under National Socialism.

background to the new namesake

Helene Thimig, born in 1889, was part of a well -known theater fame. She was married to the co -founder of the Salzburg Festival, Max Reinhardt, and had an impressive career that she led from the festival to the Vienna Burgtheater. Her commitment and the values for which she stands make you a suitable namesake for the street, which is now to be named after her.

The city plans to carry out the renaming in 2025 and is supported by the residents when adjusting their addresses. This includes the coverage of possible costs associated with the formalities. A total of eight addressed properties on Damisch-Straße are affected, which underlines the importance of this step.

This process is not only an update of the street names, but also a step towards the processing of the history and the promotion of a fairer social representation. The controversial names of the past will in future be replaced by those that commonly represent positive social values.

The challenges associated with these renams are not to be underestimated, but the city seems determined to take the first step to do justice to the past and to promote the culture of remembrance. The entire process is a significant part of the efforts to strengthen a democratic society and at the same time promote a critical examination of one's own history.

For detailed information on the background and further measures, See the report on Salzburg.ORF.AT .