Obj. ID: 44793
Jewish Architecture Holocaust Memorial in Kobersdorf, Austria, 2017
Name
Mahnmal für die jüdischen Opfer des Nationalsozialismus aus Kobersdorf
Translation: Memorial for the Jewish victims of Nazism from Kobersdorf
Who is Commemorated?
Jewish population of Kobersdorf in 1938 most of whom died or were murdered
Description
The memorial stands in the center of an open roughly triangular grassy space close to and within the site of the former synagogue and the castle (Schloss). It is set back from the roadway that forks in shortly before the monument so that drivers see the monument directly for a few moments before turning to the side. The tall inscribed black granite stele is approached along a path paved with yellow bricks that widens into a paved circle upon which the monument is erected.
The monument consists of four parts. A low broad base of black granite rest directly on the pavement. It is inscribed on its front in large letters, painted in gold:
DER NACHWELT ZUR MAHNUNG
Translation: A reminder for posterity
A tall, wide, but thin slab of polished black granite is set on the base. At the top of this is the inscription:
DER JÜDISCHEN GEMEINDE KOBERSDORF UND IHREN OPFERN IN DER ZEIT DER NATIONALSOZIALISTICHEN BARBAREI ZUM GEDENKEN.
Translation: To commemorate the Jewish community of Kobersdorf and their victims during the period of National Socialist barbarism.
Beneath these lines are inscribed the names of the Jewish residents of Kobersdorf in March 1938, when the Nazi’s took power. The names were discovered by archival and other research. They are arranged alphabetically in four columns of names. Each name is followed by a year of birth. For some names, a street address is also given.
Atop the inscribed stele is a smaller white marble block inscribed with the words
NIE WIEDER
Translation: Never Again
On the rear is the same phrase in Hebrew:
לעולם לא עוד
Translation: Never Again
This in turn is surmounted by two separate black or dark blue square blocks set like crenulations. These blocks may be ceramic or concrete and appear to be painted. It is unclear what these are meant to represent. Are they design accents, or should they be seen symbolically?
Inscriptions
On the front, in German:
NIE WIEDER
Translation: Never Again
“DER JÜDISCHEN GEMEINDE KOBERSDORF UND IHREN OPFERN
IN DER ZEIT DER NATIONALSOZIALISTICHEN BARBAREI
ZUM GEDENKEN.”
Translation: To commemorate the Jewish community of Kobersdorf and their victims during the period of National Socialist barbarism.
List of names of 216 Jewish residents of Kobersdorf
DER NACHWELT ZUR MAHNUNG
Translation: A reminder for posterity
On the back, in Hebrew
לעולם לא עוד
Translation: Never Again
Inside Magen David
ק''ק ק''ד [קהילת קודש קוברסדורף]
Translation: The Holy community of Kobersdorf
לזכר הקהילה היהודית של קוברסדורף
וקרבנותיה בימי השואה
באות אזהרה לדורות הבאים
ה'תשע''ז
Translation: To commemorate the Jewish community of Kobersdorf / and their victims during the period of Shoah /a reminder for posterity / 2017
Commissioned by
Verein Gedenken an die im Jahr 1938 vertriebenen jüdischen Einwohner von Kobersdorf – Mahnmal (Association for Remembering the Jewish Residents of Kobersdorf who were expelled in 1938)
Funding from the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism.
18 image(s)
sub-set tree:
| On an area of the Schlossgasse near the Kobersdorf synagogue
yellow brick (paving)
Immediately after the Nazis took power in Austria in March 1938, the expulsion of the Kobersdorf Jews began. By May 1938, local Nazi leaders reported that Kobersdorf had been "liberated" from the Jews. By municipal council made Adolph Hitler an honorary citizen of Kobersdorf.
219 Jewish residents of Kobersdorf lived in Kobersdorf before 1938. “Of these, it is almost certain that 150 women, men, and children were murdered,” by the German (and Austrian) Nazis.
The “Association for a Memorial in Remembrance of the Expelled Jewish Residents of Kobersdorf” was formed to create a memorial for these former residents of Kobersdorf. A proposal by the painter Prof. Ernst Fuchs began the project. Former mayor Erwin Hausensteiner was deeply involved.
The memorial includes the names of all 216 (219?) Kobersdorf residents in both German and Hebrew.
A sign set off to the side of the memorial presents the following explanations:
Das Mahnmal wurde vom Verein
“Gedenken an die im Jahr 1938
vertriebenen judischen Einwohner
von Kobersdorf – Mahnmal”
in Jahr 2017 nach dem Entwurf von
Prof. Ernst Fuchs (1930-2015), Wien,
dessen Vorfahren vaterlicherseits aus
der judischen Gemeinde Kobersdorf
stammten, errichtet.
Translation: The memorial was set up by the association “Commemorating the 1938 displaced Jewish residents from Kobersdorf – memorial” in 2017 according to the design of Prof. Ernst Fuchs (1930-2015), Vienna, his paternal ancestors the Jewish community of Kobersdorf originated, erected.
Für die auf dem Mahnmal aufgefürten Namen ehemaliger jüdischer Bewohner von
Kobersdorf kann der erschaffende Gedenk-Verein keinen Anspruch auf deren richtige
Schreibweise oder auf Vollständigkeit erheben.
Die Darstellung der Namen auf dem Mahnmal koonte nur nach vorhandenen Archiv-
Quellen erfolgen und soll vor allem die Größenordnung der seinerzeitigen
schrecklichen Zäsur vor Augen führen.
Für weiterföhrende Erganzungen oder Korrekturen ist der Gedenk-Verein dankbar.
Verein Gedenken an die im Jahr 1938 vertriebenen jüdischen Einwohner von
Kobersdorf-Mahnmal
Translation: For the names of former Jewish residents of Kobersdorf, the creating memorial association cannot claim their correct spelling or completeness. The representation of the names on the memorial is only based on existing archive sources and should bring to mind above all the magnitude of the terrible disaster. The Memorial Association is grateful for further additions or corrections. - Association commemorating the Jewish residents of 1938 who were expelled Kobersdorf Memorial
"Judenverfolgung: Gedenken von unten.
Privatinitiativen formieren sich seit Jahren in den einst bedeutenden jüdischen "Siebengemeinden." Wiener Zeitung, March 12, 2018, https://www.wienerzeitung.at/nachrichten/politik/oesterreich/952229-Gedenken-von-unten.html (accessed September 12, 2022)
"Memorial for the Jewish victims of Nazism from Kobersdorf," National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism , https://www.nationalfonds.org/detail-view/3765 (accessed September 12, 2022)
“Mahnmal für die 1938 vertriebenen Juden von Kobersdorf,” Tiroler Tageszeitung, March 9, 2017, https://www.tt.com/artikel/13392771/mahnmal-fuer-die-1938-vertriebenen-juden-von-kobersdorf (accessed September 12, 2022)
“Mahnmal in Kobersdorf eröffnet,” ORF Burgenland, https://burgenland.orf.at/v2/news/stories/2864036/ (accessed September 12, 2022)