Commemoration in Esens: Keeping the memory of the 1943 bomb victims alive

Commemoration in Esens: Keeping the memory of the 1943 bomb victims alive

On September 27th, the city of Esens traditionally remembers the victims of the devastating bombing of 1943. This year, the memorial event took place for the first time in the House of Encounter. Mayor Karin Emken, who led the event, underlined the growing importance of commemoration and touched the hearts of those present when she recalled the terrible consequences of the attack: 165 dead and 57 seriously injured were the terrible results, which also resulted in 490 people losing their homes and over 400 buildings being damaged. The attack lasted only ten minutes, during which the bells of St. Magnus Church rang as an impressive warning.

Karin Emken emphasized that almost every Esenser was affected by this tragedy. “The memory of the crimes of the Nazi era is more important than ever,” she said. Around 60 million people died in the Second World War, including 6 million Jews, and this dark history reminds us of the responsibility that rests on the shoulders of today's society. Emken warned against political seducers and the spread of false information, especially in the digital world. Their powerful message appealed to compassion, moral courage and standing up for freedom, peace and democracy.

Memories from Altenessen

However, the tragedies of World War II are not limited to Esens. Similar memories from Altenessen, where an air raid took place in March 1943, showed the frightening dimensions of the air war. Resi Schoppen was six years old at the time when the sirens sounded and the bombs fell, immediately after the warning sound. Her family took shelter in their basement while the house remained intact except for the damaged living room walls.

As historian Christoph Wilmer reports, the air raids caused targeted damage to both industrial facilities and the civilian population and claimed many lives. Some survivors who tried to escape to a bunker in time failed in this task, while others had to be dug out directly from the rubble after the bombardment. Such stories have been told countless times throughout the Second World War, a conflict in which massive destruction often left civilians vulnerable.

The air war at a glance

The aim of the air war, which shook numerous countries from September 1, 1939 to September 2, 1945, was to achieve air superiority and break the morale of the population. While large-scale attacks increased, there was often no shortage of painful civilian casualties. Estimates say that between 305,000 and 600,000 German civilians and up to 500,000 Japanese died in the air raids. For example, the British bombers carried out thousand-bomber attacks to demotivate the German population.

The cruel bombing of cities remains a controversial topic today, as area bombings were only explicitly banned with the additional protocols to the Geneva Convention of 1977. The air war claimed victims across Europe and showed how ugly warfare can be when it puts civilian populations at risk.

Three cities, three memories - whether in Esens or Altenessen, the ghosts of war are everywhere. Mayor Emken's urgent appeal for shared remembrance was heard on that day, and one can only hope that the lessons from back then remain relevant for our future.