Theresia Karas

A small, brass square gleams in the pavement before you. This Stolperstein, a stumbling stone, commemorates Theresia Karas. Theresia Karas, affectionately called “Reserl” by her family, lived a short life marked by both love and tragedy. She was born in Salzburg in 1928, the youngest of four children. Her father, a railway worker, provided for his family in their home on what is now Aglassingerstraβe. At the tender age of two, Theresia contracted polio, leaving her with lasting physical challenges, including a deformed left hand and epileptic seizures. Despite these difficulties, Theresia remained a bright and spirited child. With the help of her siblings, she attended primary school in Gnigl, a district of Salzburg, until her health forced her to stop after third grade. In 1939, seeking treatment and respite, Theresia was sent to the Evangelical Diakoniewerk in Gallneukirchen near Linz. Letters from this time reveal a young girl with a keen mind and loving heart. She wrote about the changing seasons, sewing patches in the workshop, and attending church. She inquired about her father’s vacation and expressed her love for her family. Tragically, Theresia’s life was cut short by the Nazi regime. On January 13, 1941, she was transferred from Gallneukirchen to the Hartheim killing center, a victim of the Aktion T4 program. This program, disguised under the euphemism of “euthanasia,” systematically murdered individuals deemed “unworthy of life.” Theresia was only twelve years old. Her parents were deceptively informed that she had died of sepsis at the Pirna-Sonnenstein Clinic. They received an urn, but Theresia’s personal belongings were never returned. They never learned the truth about their daughter’s fate. This Stolperstein for Theresia Karas serves as a stark reminder of the horrors of the Nazi regime. It honors her memory and the memory of countless others who perished in the Holocaust. The Akademisches Gymnasium Salzburg sponsors this Stolperstein, ensuring that Theresia’s story continues to be told.