Mahnmal für die Opfer des Naziregimes

What if a simple coat could tell a story? Here at the Mahnmal für die Opfer des Naziregimes, a bronze coat draped over the Wiwilí Bridge tells a poignant tale. The Mahnmal für die Opfer des Naziregimes, which translates to “Memorial for the Victims of the Nazi Regime”, is more than just a sculpture. It’s a chilling reminder of the forgotten lives lost during one of history’s darkest periods. The year was 1940. The Nazis, under Gauleiter Robert Wagner and Josef Bürckel, launched the “Wagner-Bürckel-Aktion”. This operation, one of the first mass deportations of Jews from the German Reich, saw approximately 6,500 Jews from Southwest Germany, including around 350 from Freiburg, torn from their homes. They were given just an hour to gather their belongings before being herded onto trucks and transported to trains bound for the Gurs internment camp in Southern France. The Mahnmal für die Opfer des Naziregimes specifically commemorates this deportation from Freiburg. The coat itself is symbolic. Many deportees wrote letters home to Freiburg, lamenting the fact they had left their coats behind, unaware of the horrors that awaited them. The bronze coat, with a faintly etched Star of David, serves as a stark symbol of this forced journey into the unknown. Although the Star of David wasn’t mandatory in 1940, its inclusion on the Mahnmal für die Opfer des Naziregimes amplifies the tragic fate that awaited so many. The Gurs camp, ill-equipped to handle the influx of 7,000 individuals, became a place of suffering and death. Inadequate food, medicine, and appalling hygiene led to disease and death for many within months. The Freiburg victims of the Wagner-Bürckel-Aktion, like many others deported to Gurs, faced further deportation to extermination camps in occupied Poland via the Drancy transit camp near Paris. For many years, Freiburg lacked a dedicated memorial to these victims. While a road sign pointing towards Gurs was erected in 2000 at the site of the Old Synagogue, the Mahnmal für die Opfer des Naziregimes, installed in 2003, brought a powerful and visible reminder to the city. The artwork was conceived by Johannes Röchl, the deputy head of the Freiburg Cultural Office, and was born out of discussions within a working group that included the Jewish community and other organizations. The decision to create the Mahnmal für die Opfer des Naziregimes sparked considerable public debate before its final approval and installation. It stands as a sobering testament to the human cost of the Holocaust, reminding us to never forget the lives lost and the importance of preserving their stories.