Stones of Remembrance
Family member Walter Aufrichtig and his wife Erna Hindler were both murdered at Chelmno on 9 September 1942. In 2002, Walter's name was among those inscribed on a memorial established in Traunkirchen, in honour of the 476 Viennese Jews taken to a forced labour camp in the vicinity, and then subsequently sent to extermination camps.
Dr. Elisabeth Ben David-Hindler, daughter of Hans Hindler, a cousin of Erna Hinder's father, Salomon Hindler, initiated a project for the remembrance of the Viennese Jewish population in a quarter of the Second district, the "Street of Remembrance". In 2006 she and members of her Association "Stones of Remembrance", have been working on a new project, the "Path of Remembrance" through the Second district. Within this project there is the possibility of setting "Stones of Remembrance " for Holocaust victims. Full details of the projects are set out on her website at www.steinedererinnerung.net.
www.aufrichtigs.com is pleased to highlight this worthy endeavour and reproduces Dr Elisabeth's descriptions of the projects and the memorial to joint family member Erna Hinder.
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„Street
of Remembrance” dedicated
to the Jewish residents of the
“Volkertviertel” Before World War II more than 5000 Jewish Viennese lived in the “Volkertviertel” (Volkert- Quarter). With the invasion of the Nazis, the Jewish population became at once deprived of all their rights, their jobs, their belongings and their human dignity. Those who were refused flight were deported and murdered. With the "Street of Remembrance”, we want to give back to the people, who were rooted here, a place belonging to their former home town, at the very spot where they had lived with their families. In choosing the commemorative stones we kept in mind people of different age groups. Many commemorative stones were placed for children. We also took into account the different places of deportation, many of which were in hastily established ghettos in small Polish towns, from where the deportees were sent to the extermination camps. Most of the commemorative stones are dedicated to people whose complete families were eradicated. 18 stones were set at explicit request of former Jewish residents’ relatives. Our
greatest desire is that this place of commemoration contributes to the
healing of the deep wounds that have
been inflicted on the Jewish population by the Nazis, by their followers
and by those people who
simply looked away. "Truly
dead are only those whom no one remembers” Elisabeth
Ben David-Hindler Chairwoman
of the association "Stones of
Remembrance“ Email: steinedererinnerung@gmx.at
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Memorial to members of the Hindler Family. Picture courtesy of Dr Elisabeth Ben David-Hindler.
The
Path of Remembrance
The "Street of Remembrance"
in the "Volkertviertel," our first project, has stirred many people.
A special feature on this street are the stones set in the ground,
reflecting the idea of "stumbling blocks" (Stolpersteine) which originated in
Our new, more extensive project
"The Path of Remembrance," will - on the one hand - take you back
to the many significant points of the former Jewish life in the Leopoldstadt,
and - on the other hand - bring to light the history of the expulsion and
murder of the Jewish population.
It will touch on the everyday Jewish
life, and it will - in an exemplary manner - memorialize the people who
erstwhile lived here. In this manner, we aim to give - symbolically - and
stone by stone - a little place again in their home district, to the
expelled and murdered former inhabitants; and to give the family members a chance
- and the solace to perpetuate the memory of their parents, grandparents, and
siblings.
With these examples, we wish to keep
awake the memory of Jewish life and culture in the Leopoldstadt, destroyed by
the Nazis. Each of the 30 stations will include the following:
a) Explanation plaques: (7 3/4 by
7 3/4 inches) Example of inscription: In front of the house Schmelzgasse 9 there are already 5
stones in place. Next to them a plaque will be installed with the eventual
text:
"In this house there were
collective apartments where 143 people were being crammed in. Only 11 of them
survived”
b) Stones of remembrance for murdered
Jewish inhabitants. Each stone is 3 3/4 by
3 3/4 inches. There are always
blocks of 4 stones in place. The amount of blocks will be adapted
according to the space of the station. A comprehensive search around the
world will offer relatives of the murdered family members, who lived in the
Leopoldstadt, the opportunity to place "Stones of Remembrance."
A similarly large number of stones will be set for people without surviving
relatives.
c) Path Markings: As an
identification sign.
The "Path of Remembrance"
will be created in 3 stages within a period of 2 years.
The inauguration of the first half
will take place in November 2006.
The head of the district, Mr. Gerhard
Kubik, as well as the city's culture councilor, Mailath Pokorny, are supportive
of our project.
At the planning and realization of this project, we enjoy the support of the
District of Leopoldstadt.
We expect the cost to be borne
partially by the "Nationalfonds." For the most part, we would
like through sponsorship, building-stones, and contributions. Sponsorship
can be assumed for the placing of personal stones.
The explanation plaques and
path-markings are covering the cost of the building stones.
Sponsorship for the
Stones of Remembrance is € 120.-
Building-Stones for the
Explanation Plaques and Path Markings are € 18.-, € 36.- or €72.-
If you are interested to be a
sponsor, in a building-stone, or have questions about the project, please
contact our homepage: www.steinedererinnerung.net
Dr. Elisabeth Ben David-Hindler,
Chairwoman of the Association, Stones of Remembrance