Remember those forced to leave their homes. This is the Jüdisches Altenheim. It is a place of remembrance in Regensburg. This Jüdisches Altenheim stands as a silent testament to a dark chapter in history.
This is the Jüdisches Altenheim Stolperschwelle. It is more than just a memorial. It marks the threshold of suffering endured by the Jewish community during the Nazi regime. The Stolperschwelle serves as a stark reminder of the deportations and the lives lost.
The Jüdisches Altenheim was once a place of refuge. It became a site of forced relocation and ultimately deportation. Imagine the fear and uncertainty. Jewish residents were uprooted from their homes. They were forced into this Altenheim before being sent to concentration camps.
Here at the Jüdisches Altenheim Stolperschwelle the dimensions of the atrocity become very clear.
In 1938, the NS city administration declared this house a “Judenhaus”. This meant that Jewish people, evicted from their homes, were forced to live here. People whose houses were so called “aryanized”, were forcibly quartered in this building. From here they were deported.
One can read in Victor Klemperers diary: “Cohons, Stuehlers, we. Bathroom and toilet together. Kitchen together with Stuehlers, only half separated – one water place for all three. It is already half barrack life, one stumbles over each other, in confusion.”
On September 23, 1942, 31 people were deported from here to Theresienstadt and Auschwitz. They included 18 women and 13 men. The oldest was 89. The youngest was 46. On that day, 117 women and men from Regensburg were deported. Additionally, 94 came from the Upper Palatinate and Lower Bavaria. 343 came from Munich and another 433 from Swabia. In total, 989 women, men and children were deported to their deaths on that day.
The Jüdisches Altenheim Stolperschwelle bears witness to these atrocities. It reminds us of the names and stories behind the statistics.
Today, the Stolperschwelle at the Jüdisches Altenheim serves as an important educational tool. It promotes understanding and tolerance. It encourages visitors to reflect on the consequences of hatred and discrimination.
The inscription “From here…” serves as a haunting echo of the past. It urges us to remember. It challenges us to ensure that such horrors never happen again.
The Jüdisches Altenheim stands as a symbol. It is a symbol of resilience and remembrance. It is a commitment to a future free from prejudice and oppression. Take a moment to reflect on the lives that passed through here. Remember their stories. Honor their memory.