Imagine a threshold. Not just any threshold, but the Alma Mater Lipsiensis Stolperschwelle. This threshold speaks volumes about a dark chapter in history. It’s a stark reminder of the Nazi atrocities committed against vulnerable individuals. This Stolperschwelle is unlike the individual Stolpersteine you may have seen. It is a threshold.
The 23. Sept 1923 Alma Mater Lipsiensis Stolperschwelle marks the entrance to what was once the Dösener “Heil- und Pflegeanstalt” or Healing and Care Institution. This institution became a site of horror under the Nazi regime. The Nazis coldly classified disabled individuals as “lebensunwert” or unworthy of life. This led to the implementation of euthanasia decrees.
Here at the Alma Mater Lipsiensis Stolperschwelle, children were murdered in one of Leipzig’s two “Kinderfachabteilungen” or children’s special departments. This Stolperschwelle serves as a memorial to these victims. It commemorates their lives and acknowledges the injustice they suffered.
The initiative to create the Alma Mater Lipsiensis Stolperschwelle began in 2013. Five physically disabled Leipzig residents made it their mission. They had already organized a Stolperstein for Arno Jörg König. He was a young boy and a victim of NS euthanasia. They called their project “Initiative 551 Plus”. This number represented the number of children known to have been killed at the Dösener institution. However they knew this number was likely an underestimation.
The group partnered with the Erich-Zeigner-Haus-Verein. They meticulously researched the euthanasia crimes committed in Leipzig. They scoured archives and gathered information. They held regular meetings at the “Die Villa” sociocultural center. Historian Ulrich Rottleb and Thomas Seyde a city psychiatrist, supported their efforts.
The inscription on the Alma Mater Lipsiensis Stolperschwelle reflects the updated research. It reads: “Heil- und Pflegeanstalt Leipzig-Dösen 1933-1945. From 1934, 604 people were forcibly sterilized here. From 1939-1943, 624 children were murdered here in the ‘Kinderfachabteilung’. From June 1940-August 1941, 860 disabled people were ‘transferred’ from here, murdered in Pirna-Sonnenstein – ‘Aktion T4’.”
Installed on May 7th, the Alma Mater Lipsiensis Stolperschwelle measures approximately one meter by 30 centimeters. It serves as a constant reminder of the atrocities that occurred here. It stands as a solemn warning against repeating the horrors of the past.
The Alma Mater Lipsiensis Stolperschwelle is more than just a memorial. It represents the culmination of dedication and perseverance. It embodies a commitment to truth and remembrance. This threshold invites us to reflect on the value of every human life. It compels us to confront the darkest chapters of history. It challenges us to build a more just and compassionate future.