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QR code at the Rintelner Monument: A new look at history!
The controversial “Sturmende Jäger” monument in Rinteln is receiving a QR code that leads to the history of the First World War.
QR code at the Rintelner Monument: A new look at history!
In the picturesque flower wall in Rinteln stands the “Storming Hunters” monument – a monument that has been digitally upgraded this year. The memorial, which commemorates the fallen soldiers of the No. 20 Reserve Jaeger Battalion from the First World War, now has a QR code on the base. Anyone who scans it will be taken directly to the homepage Eulenburg Museum where exciting background information about the monument is provided.
The museum director, Dr. Stefan Meyer explains the eventful history of the monument. Originally, in 1920, survivors of the battalion planned to build a memorial for over 1,200 fallen comrades. But the following years of inflation meant that the financing failed. When the NSDAP came to power in 1933, the plans finally took a new turn. The construction project was shaped by the National Socialist ideology, which glorified fallen soldiers as heroes. The monument was inaugurated in 1936 - and stands out clearly from the older war memorials of the Weimar era, which embodied grief and loss.
Insight into history
The design of the monument, which was created by sculptor Prof. Robert Cauer, follows the racial ideological ideas of the National Socialists. The cruel reality of war, as experienced by many soldiers like Hermann Brücker, is largely ignored in the depiction. Brücker, who went to war voluntarily at the age of 17, died in the fighting near Szumlany in Galicia at the age of 18 - a tragedy that comes to life in his field post letters to his family. These letters document his experiences and the living conditions at the front.
However, the annual memorial event for the war dead does not take place at the memorial itself, but at the memorial tower at the end of Brennerstrasse. Visitors and locals are often confused about the significance of the monument, but many agree that it must be viewed as an important piece of 20th century history. Andreas Kitz, the deputy chairman of the Niederzier History Association, sees the monument and the stories associated with it as essential for understanding our past. He has dealt intensively with the First World War and the events associated with it for over 25 years.
At a time when digital memory and the processing of history are becoming increasingly important, the QR code could be a small step in the right direction. It also enables younger generations to engage with the history and background of the monument. There are great hopes for the future in the prospects of a culture of remembrance and remembrance in order to preserve an appropriate memory for the victims of the war.