Mainz commemorates: New place of remembrance for deported Jews

Mainz commemorates: New place of remembrance for deported Jews

Something very important is happening in the state capital Mainz. The city has begun construction of a new memorial site to commemorate the mass deportations of Jews during the Nazi era. The area on which the memorial is being built belongs to vlexx GmbH, a railway company that is kindly making the site available for this important project. First, the necessary ground work was carried out before the construction site really started Antenna Mainz reported.

The construction project is located on the site of the former freight yard, where the first deportations took place in 1942. During the preparation of the memorial site, the remains of a historic loading dock were discovered, which served as the starting point for the deportations. This discovery was the reason for the memorial project, which aims to keep the memory of the atrocities of the National Socialists alive Mainz.de explained.

Construction progress and design

The construction site is already set up; Containers were delivered and a construction fence was erected. The traffic routing in the area was also changed to make the construction process easier. Civil engineering work will begin shortly, followed by the construction of the foundations of the central memorial wall. This wall will bear the names of the deported Sinti and Jews from Mainz, carved in tin-bronze letters. In addition, historical wall segments are embedded in the concrete wall, which create a powerful reference to history, supplemented by artistic elements that are intended to stimulate reflection, as Mainz.de reports.

A very special element will be a stainless steel mirror with quotes from Mainz citizens who were deported to Piaski. In this way, the memorial becomes a place of reflection and remembrance, which is also intended to enrich the surrounding area with green spaces. Gardening and landscaping will play a crucial role in bringing human aspects into the design to create a welcoming setting.

Remembering the past

The idea for this memorial took shape after the Mainz city planning office launched an ideas competition in 2017. The Dresden office Atelier won first prize. Schmelzer. Weber and the sculptor Prof. Andreas Theurer, whose design impresses with its architectural objectivity and promotes participatory design. The memorial should not only be a place of remembrance, but also serve to raise awareness of historical crimes, as documented in the list of memorials for the victims of National Socialism.

The memorial is scheduled to be completed at the beginning of next year and will be an important focal point for education and remembrance in the region. In total, around 1,131 Mainz Jews were deported by the end of the war, and their fate will continue to be kept alive in the future with this measure.