Memorial threshold in Viersen: Memory of over 6,500 victims of forced labor

Memorial threshold in Viersen: Memory of over 6,500 victims of forced labor

In Viersen, an uplifting sign of commemoration is set, which will be solemnly unveiled on June 17, 2025 at 4 p.m. A commemorative threshold will be reminiscent of the victims of forced labor in Viersen between 1940 and 1945. This initiative is carried out by committed citizens: inside, like Jürgen Heimes, from the "Niewieder" initiative, Beatrix Wolters from the Association for Heimatpflege Viersen and Manfred Budel from the Association for the Promotion of Memory Culture Viersen 1933-45. Mayor Sabine Anemüller will initiate the event with a moving speech.

The commemorative threshold will be on the way between the town house and the municipal gallery in the park, very close to Georg Ettl's “strong woman”, and is part of a comprehensive project by the artist Gunter Demnig, which is primarily known for his stumbling blocks. These unique little monuments that are embedded in the sidewalk serve to make the fate of over 6,500 people forced in Viersen during the Nazi era.

a moving message

The commemorative threshold is provided with an appropriate lettering that reflects the dramatic circumstances: “Viersen 1940–1945, more than 6500 people deported to Viersen, forced labor for state construction measures, in industrial companies and craft businesses, for farmers and in private households, because of the poor living conditions, in the event of work accidents and bombings, an unknown number of them died." These words are not only a memorial for the past, but also an appeal to keep memory awake.

But the commemorative threshold is more than just a stone. It is part of a worldwide movement that is essentially excellent by Demnig's stumbling blocks. Around 70,000 of these small monuments are now distributed throughout Europe and beyond. They provide information about the life stories of Nazi victims who have been pursued and murdered due to their political, religious or ethnicity. School classes often sit behind the research on these life stories, which gives the memory a personal touch and makes the events both tangible and understandable. Deutschlandfunk reports as well as how these stones tell individual stories and thus make a valuable contribution to the culture of remembrance.

a musical supporting program

A special highlight will be the musical accompaniment of 16-year-old Jakob Tillmann, who will give the solemn ceremony an additional emotional depth. The public is cordially invited to participate in this moving unveiling and thus set a sign against forgetting.

This event in Viersen is not just a local commemoration, but part of a larger movement that deals with the processing of the National Socialist past. The various initiatives, as well as the stumbling blocks, offer space for reflection and discussion about responsibility, memory and the challenges associated with these topics.

In addition, the counting of graves in the urban environment shows that the memory of forced workers is still alive even after many years. On the cemeteries of Viersen, Dülken and addictions as well as in the cemetery of the LVR clinics, 51 graves of former forced laborers and their children can be found a strong sign of the need to tell their stories.

Overall, the commemorative threshold offers a space for grief, reflection and the memory of all those who have lost their lives during the dark chapters of our history. This initiative should not let anyone forget and contributes to raising awareness of the horrors of the past.