Weg der Erinnerung Way

Could a path hold so much sorrow? Here at the Weg der Erinnerung, or Way of Remembrance, in Würzburg, the weight of history is almost palpable. This path isn’t just a walkway. It’s a chilling echo of a dark chapter. The Weg der Erinnerung traces the route that nearly 1,500 Jewish people were forced to walk in 1941-1944. They were taken from Platz’schen Garten, once a place of amusement, now a stark reminder of their suffering. The Weg der Erinnerung begins near the former Platz’schen Garten. A memorial by Benedictine Father Meinrad Dufner stands as a solemn sentinel. It depicts a haunting photo from April 1942, showing the processing of these individuals before their deportation. Imagine the scene: men, women, and children carrying their belongings, guarded as they walked towards the Güterbahnhof Aumühle, the “Aumühle loading yard.” From this station, they were transported to their deaths. This path, marked by concrete sleepers and informative steles, leads to the former loading yard. One of the steles displays the very image from the memorial. It shows the entrance to the Platz’schen Garten during the deportations. The Weg der Erinnerung is more than a memorial. It’s a testament to the lives lost. It’s a call to remember the victims and a stark warning against the horrors of the past. The path continues along Friedrich-Ebert-Ring, then through Martin-Luther-Straße to Berliner Ring, each step a poignant reminder of the journey those people were forced to take. More steles line the route, providing information and context to this tragic history. The path eventually leads to the old ramp of the Verladebahnhof Aumühle, near what is now a Kaufland supermarket. The original pavement still exists in the upper section of the ramp. It serves as a tangible connection to the events that transpired here. While the original plan was to create a larger memorial at the Aumühle loading yard, structural issues prevented this. Instead, the DenkOrt Deportationen 1941-1944 was established at the main train station. Even without the intended final memorial, the Weg der Erinnerung stands as a powerful symbol of remembrance in Würzburg. The Weg der Erinnerung reminds us to never forget the victims of these deportations. It calls us to actively remember and to ensure that such atrocities never happen again.