Silence. A poignant silence hangs heavy in the air here at the Mahnmal. This unassuming glass sculpture, filled with a third ash, holds a depth of sorrow that words can barely express. The Mahnmal, you see, commemorates the victims of Nazi euthanasia, a harrowing chapter etched in Salzburg’s history. In 1941, over 250 patients from the then “Landesheilanstalt für Geistes- und Gemϋtskranke”, today’s Christian-Doppler-Klinik, were tragically sent to their deaths at Schloss Hartheim in Upper Austria. This was part of the chilling “Aktion T4”, a program designed to eliminate those deemed “unfit” by the Nazi regime. Artist Otto Saxinger conceived this memorial, unveiled in 1991, 50 years after those horrific events. But the story doesn’t end there. In 2014, the Mahnmal was severely damaged by a right-wing extremist. During its restoration, a chilling addition was made: four ground slabs inscribed with the names of 325 victims from Salzburg. The empty spaces between these names serve as a stark reminder. A reminder that the quest to uncover the stories of all those lost to this dark chapter is far from over.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to