Summary
In a poignant celebration of remembrance and resilience, the Obermayer Foundation honors individuals who delve into the depths of Germany’s tumultuous past, particularly highlighting the rich tapestry of German-Jewish coexistence. Each year, as if turning the pages of a sacred book, the Obermayer German Jewish History Awards illuminate those unwavering spirits dedicated to preserving memory and fostering understanding. This year’s ceremony, the fifteenth in a respected tradition, took place in the majestic halls of the Berlin House of Representatives on January 26, 2015, a reflective eve before the solemn Holocaust Remembrance Day. Amidst a diverse gathering of projects from across the nation, the spotlight shone on the remarkable endeavors of Berlin’s own Professor Renata Stih and art historian Frieder Schnock. Their powerful installation, a testament to history and humanity, was aptly named “Place of Remembrance.” Since its inception in 1993, this arresting project has transformed the Bayerisches Viertel in Schöneberg into a living museum—each corner whispering tales of sorrow, resilience, and the indelible scars left by a painful past. Like portals to memory itself, eighty stark panels embrace nearby lamp posts, their texts echoing directives that once constricted the lives of Jewish Berliners. One reads chillingly: “People of Jewish descent in Berlin shall only purchase food between 4 and 5 PM.” Each inscription, a jarring reminder of imposed hardships, forces passersby to confront the grim reality of dehumanization that unfolded in the years between 1933 and 1945. On their website, the artists describe their mission as a means to awaken the souls of the forgotten, inviting the curious to explore not just the streets of their neighborhood but the echoes of history that linger around them. “The texts and images on the panels confront passersby with the nearly forgotten history of this district, once home to great minds like Albert Einstein and Hannah Arendt,” they share with a sense of urgency befitting their cause. Across this thoughtful landscape, the memorial morphs into a powerful metaphor for the daily struggles and the systematic erasure suffered by Jews during the Nazi regime. Each step taken by the visitors becomes a journey back through time—a reminder that history, no matter how painful, must be confronted, remembered, and learned from. The Obermayer Awards continue to inspire future generations to engage with this significant history, instilling a sense of hope that through remembrance, understanding will flourish.
Original Source: www.berlin.de
