Granite whispers stories of pain. This is the Mahnmal zur Erinnerung an die Deportation nach Gurs. It stands as a stark reminder of a dark chapter in Heidelberg’s history. The Mahnmal commemorates the deportation of Jewish citizens from Heidelberg and the Kraichgau region to the Gurs concentration camp in the Pyrenees in 1940.
The Mahnmal zur Erinnerung an die Deportation nach Gurs was unveiled on July 30 2014 in the Schwanenteichanlage near the city library. Heidelberg’s mayor Dr Eckart Würzner spoke at the unveiling. He urged people to ensure such inhumanity never happens again. He emphasized that origin, language, or faith should not lead to exclusion.
The Mahnmal zur Erinnerung an die Deportation nach Gurs resulted from a student competition. The Evangelical Church, the Jewish community, and the city of Heidelberg initiated it. Students from St Raphael-Gymnasium and Elisabeth-von-Thadden-Schule participated. They engaged with the theme “So that memory takes shape”. They discussed the topic with camp survivor Kurt Meier. Anna-Sophia Weßling from Elisabeth-von-Thadden-Schule created the selected design for the Mahnmal zur Erinnerung an die Deportation nach Gurs. Her design features a cube with rails on its surface. These symbolize the path of the deported Jews from Heidelberg. Sculptor Grégory Boiteux transformed Weßling’s design into a massive Odenwald granite block. The stone is 1.45 by 1.45 by 1.60 meters. The Mahnmal zur Erinnerung an die Deportation nach Gurs weighs several tons. It stands near where Jewish people boarded the train. Tracks and ballast are placed in front of the stone.
Landscape architect Wolfgang Roth designed the surroundings. Steelworker Volkmar Kürschner donated the rails. The Dossenheim company Böttinger created the Mahnmal zur Erinnerung an die Deportation nach Gurs area.
In 1940 Nazi leaders decided to make their areas “free of Jews”. Over 5600 Jewish citizens from Baden were deported to Gurs on October 22 1940. Trains departed from Heidelberg to Gurs. Jews from all parts of the city were taken to track 1a of the old main station. The deportation train awaited them there.
Gurs was not prepared for so many new internees. Food and medical care were insufficient. A dysentery epidemic killed many people in the first year. Prisoners initially slept on the bare ground. Later they could fill a sack with straw as a base. They were allowed 70 centimeters of space in the barracks. Families were separated. Hunger, poor hygiene, and disease marked the situation. About seven people died per day.
More than a thousand Jewish citizens from Baden died in Gurs. For many deportees Gurs was the start of suffering in concentration camps. From March 1942 Theodor Dannecker arranged transports to extermination camps. The first transport left Gurs on August 6 1942. It went via Drancy near Paris to the east. From 1941 some were transferred to other French camps. In early 1941 families with many children went to Rivesaltes or Récébédou. The Jewish aid organization O.S.E. rescued hundreds of children from these camps.
The Mahnmal zur Erinnerung an die Deportation nach Gurs stands as a warning. It reminds us to fight against antisemitism. It urges us to protect minorities. The Mahnmal zur Erinnerung an die Deportation nach Gurs ensures that the victims of the deportations are not forgotten.