Remembering together: Memorial installation for the Jewish old people's home in Mitte

Remembering together: Memorial installation for the Jewish old people's home in Mitte

commemoration in the middle: a sign of the future

On September 15, 2024, an important event will take place in Berlin-Mitte, which takes the memory of the former residents of the Jewish nursing home in Gerlachstrasse as an opportunity to think about the past and to put a cultural bridge into the future.

The district mayor of Mitte, Stefanie Remlinger, initiated the initiative in order not only to honor the names and fates of the people who were deported from this place during the Nazi era, but also to create a space in which community members and interested parties can actively participate. The memory of such places as the Jewish nursing home is of great importance because they help us to understand the teachings from history and to sensitize future generations.

As part of a participatory project, the American artist R. Stein Wexler will reconstruct the walls of the former old people's home. This symbolic gesture should make history visible and give the residents the opportunity to deal with the past. In this context, Nathan Friedenberg, head of the Mitte Museum, will illuminate the tragic role of the old people's home in the systematic deportation of Jewish people in Berlin from 1942 to 1943.

Interested parties are invited to take part in the event. It takes place in Berolinastraße 15-17, 10178 Berlin, between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. The event is free of charge; Registration is required by September 12, 2024. The participative process should not only appreciate the past, but also create a permanent memory sign that benefits the district and its residents.

In addition to the memory installation, a city tour under the direction of Nirit Ben-Joseph on the Jewish life in the Badstrasse Kiez will also take place. This lead gives the participants insight into the life stories of Jewish families who had to fight for their survival during National Socialism. The city tour also takes place on September 15, 2024, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and does not require any prior registration.

In addition, the Mitte Museum will present the documentary “Generation Repair” by Adetoun Küppers-Adebisi and Michael Küppers-Adebisi as part of the Black Berlin Biennale on September 26, 2024 at 6 p.m. This film addresses the consequences of genocide to the Ovaherero and Nama. The demonstration is shown for the first time with German subtitles, and afterwards there is the opportunity for a conversation with the director.

The series of these events illustrates how important it is to deal with the story to learn from it. In a district that is characterized by a rich, but also difficult story, the community not only offers a space for memory, but also for dialogue and understanding.

These projects receive support from the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion as well as various neighborhood associations, which underlines the joint approach. It is the desire to keep the memories of past times alive and ensure that such tragedies never happen again.

For more information and registration, interested parties can visit the Mitte Museum website or contact the press office of the Mitte district.