25. Mai. 2016: Gunter Demnig über sein Erinnerungs-und Kunstprojekt „Stolpersteine“

Nach der Verlegung von fünf weiteren Stolpersteinen vor dem Gebäude der Theaterstraße 55 – 57 für Dr. Richard und Edith Landauer, und ihre Kinder Eva Maria, Robert Felix und Stefan Klaus Robert, hat Gunter Demnig sein Kunstprojekt im Salzstadel näher erläutert. Obwohl zahlreiche Gäste, inklusive von neun Angehörigen der Familie Landauer, die aus England bzw. aus Schottland angereist waren, die kurz vorher erfolgte Verlegung der fünf Steine mitverfolgt hatten, waren bei Demnigs Vortrag lediglich die Angehörigen anwesend und die Organisatoren. Ein beschämendes Bild. Gunter Demnig hatte ja schon am 1. Oktober 2012 sein Projekt erläutert. Diesmal musste das Ganze allerdings auf Englisch erfolgen, was Gunter sehr souverän erledigt hat.
Der 2. Vorsitzende des Stolpersteinevereins begrüßte die Gäste aus Großbritannien und erläuterte die Bedeutung der Stolpersteine.

„Ladies and Gentlemen, dear members of the two Landor families, on behalf of the association „Stolpersteine für Landshut – Gegen das Vergessen e.V.“ I bid you a hearty welcome. We are very happy and greatly honoured that you have attended today’s laying of „stumbling blocks/stones“ for members of your ancestors, the Landauers: Dr. Richard Landauer, his wife Edith (nei Hirsch) and their three children Eva-Maria, Stefan Klaus and Robert Felix.
It has been for the first time that relatives have been taking part in a ceremony like this in Landshut. It has been a really moving and exciting event. And that’s avery special privilege for us, which we appreciate very much, indeed.
A few technical aspects about the Stolpersteine:
A „Stolperstein“ is a cube with a brass plaque on top of it containing first name, family name and maiden name, year of birth, full date of arrest if applicable, information about internment in a camp, year of deportation to concentration camp, full date of murder. Stolpersteine are always placed for people who died on a sidewalk, usually directly in front of the entrance, in front of the last residence of choice. Stolpersteine are not only placed for people who died, but also for „Survivors“, and families should be kept together by placing Stolpersteine for them as unit. Gunter does the job mostly by himself, and so far more than 56.000 Stolpersteine have been laid all over Europe in more than 1.400 places. His motto is: „One victim – One Stone!“

Dear Miriam, Jeremy, Karen and Francis,
when we met for the first time two years ago, I told you that Stefan and Robert were students at the grammar school specializing in humanities, today Hans-Carossa-Gymnasium. And I showed you some documents and even the school report of Stefan. And today lots of students of grammar schools in Landshut have been researching – and they still do – in the fate of the Jewish people of Landshut. Great thanks to them.
When we opened the exhibit about the fate of Jewish people on the eve of the 75th anniversary of the so-called „Reichspogromnacht“ in November 2013, we received a message of greetings from Steven Anson – who you have already met in Scotland -, son of Martin Ansbacher who was able to flee/to escape to England, later on to Scotland ith this very important message: „Every single person must be totally intolerant to intolerance!“ Regarding the political situation in present-day Europe, we all should be aware of what’s going on: right wing activists are obviously taking over: see France (Front National), Austria (FPÖ), Germany (AfD) and Britain (Nigel Farage and his UKIP and many others. For that reason we have to get together and to stand up against discrimination, racism, fascism, homophobia, etc. always keeping our past in mind. Max Mannheimer, a survivor of different concentration camps and of a death march ending on the first of May 1945, is still – at the age of 94 – reporting his experiences to students in schools. And his final statement reads like this:

„You are not responsible for what happened,
but you are responsible that this
won’t happen ever again!“