Salzburg's streets: Heinrich-Damisch-Straße becomes Helene-Thimig-Strasse

Salzburg's streets: Heinrich-Damisch-Straße becomes Helene-Thimig-Strasse

In the city of Salzburg, there is an important step towards a critical examination of the past. The cultural committee of the local council recently decided to rename Heinrich-Damisch-Straße in the Parsch district into Helene-Thimig-Straße. This decision follows lengthy discussions about how to deal with streets that are named by people who were involved in the National Socialist past. The decision raises the honorary mention of a woman in a city where only four percent of the streets are named after female personalities.

The renaming was decided with the votes of SPÖ, KPÖ Plus and Citizens' List, while the ÖVP and the FPÖ spoke out against the measure. The result of this coordination process shows a change in the political majority relationships, which is due to the upcoming municipal elections in spring 2024. In order to facilitate the renaming, the city plans to offer residents support in the change of address in order to keep any inconvenience as low as possible.

background of the renaming

The decision to renamate is part of a larger project based on an extensive report that a historian commission presented in 2021. This report examined the relationships of 66 street racing at the Nazi era and recommended a review for 13 names, including Heinrich Damisch. Damisch was an influential music writer and founder of the Salzburg Festival, but also an early supporter of the NSDAP.

The city thus brings itself into a position to critically reflect history. Despite the resistance from the ranks of the ÖVP and FPÖ, the decision of the majority shows that there is an urge to process the dark past of the Nazi era. Helene Thimig, after which the street is to be named in the future, was an important personality in the Austrian cultural scene and mastered many challenges during her career, especially during and after the Nazi era.

who was Helene Thimig?

Helene Thimig was born in Vienna in 1889 and came from a prominent family of theater. Her acting career began in 1907, and later she worked for the renowned director Max Reinhardt, whom she also married. Both Thimig and Reinhardt played a central role in the Salzburg Festival. After the connection, they fled to the USA, where Reinhardt could not return to Austria due to its Jewish origin. Thimig, however, remained loyal at his side, which led to a loss of her Austrian property.

After the war, Thimig returned to Austria, but she had to fight for the return of her heritage for a long time. Her return to acting and the management of the "Max Reinhardt Seminar" founded by Reinhardt underline its significant influence on the cultural landscape of Austria, which continued until her death in 1974

With the renaming, a central figure of Austrian cultural history is recognized and a step to the culture of memory is taken, which is necessary to better understand and process the entanglements of the past. SPÖ councilor Sebastian Lankes describes this decision as an important milestone in urban politics, while the KPÖ plus sees the renaming as a necessary step towards further processing in city history.

municipal council Nikolaus Kohlberger emphasized the long-term political nature of this concern, while another representative of the citizen list, Markus Grüner-Musil, pointed out the urgency of such measures. This renaming is not only understood as a reaction to the past, but also as a clear signal against anti -Semitism and xenophobia in the present.

A comprehensive report on the history of the road racing and the changes recommended therein can be made visible on the official website of the city of Salzburg, which gives citizens a deeper insight into the topic and makes decisions transparent. These steps illustrate the city's ambitious efforts to deal with the shadows of the past and to promote a fair and fair culture of remembrance.