Remembrance in Bregenz: Stumbling blocks for Nazi-Euthanasia victims unveiled

Remembrance in Bregenz: Stumbling blocks for Nazi-Euthanasia victims unveiled

In the Vorarlberg state capital Bregenz, new stumbling blocks were unveiled on Friday, September 28th, which are reminiscent of the victims of National Socialist Euthanasia. This special commemoration took place in Lower Rathausstraße, where the stones were embedded in the asphalt. Numerous people suffered great injustice during the Nazi era directly nearby, in the administrative tract of the former health department.

The stumbling blocks are part of a project by the Cologne artist Gunter Demnig. Each specimen is a square stone made of concrete, which is provided with a small brass panel. The name, the date of birth, the date of birth and the death location of the respective victims are engraved on these tables. A total of around 100,000 of these stones have already been laid in 29 countries, of which around 90,000 can be found in Germany.

stumbling blocks as a sign of memory

The victims that are reminded of these stones are people with disabilities, people who are mentally ill and so -called non -community. Many of them have been incapacitated, instructed in psychiatric institutions or forced sterilized. The memorial event in Bregenz is accompanied by a supporting program that will continue in November with various occasions, including moderated conversations and guided tours.

In neighboring Switzerland, the stumbling blocks have also become more important. On September 28, 2023, the first stumbling block was inaugurated in St. Gallen to commemorate Arthur Bernhard Vogt's fate. Vogt, born in Gossau, lived in St. Gallen and was deported by the Swiss authorities to the German Reich due to his homosexuality. There he fell victim to the National Socialist repression and was executed in 1944.

The regional group St. Gallen of the Association of Stumbling Stone Switzerland is currently planning to set further stumbling blocks. These will be reminiscent of different people, including Jews who were persecuted during the Holocaust, and victims of Nazi Euthanasia. Among the planned stone settings include a stumbling block in Diepoldsau for proven Jews and stones for Schlama Soczewski and Marta Waudig, whose fates are closely associated with the National Socialist tyranny.

The memory of these former fellow citizens is not only a sign of respect, but also an important sign against forgetting. According to information from webapp-ph-ph-ph-tagblatt.ch , these commemorative initiatives will continue in the future in order to keep the memory alive and to raise awareness of the dark chapters of history.