Kassel (plaque)
Historical background
Near the city hall of Kassel, at 8 Königsstraße, is the historic Aschrott Fountain (Aschrott-Brunnen). It was built in 1908 by a German-Jewish family. In 1939 it was demolished as it was considered a “Jewish fountain”. In 1987, Horst Hoheisel, an artist from Kassel, designed and made his own interpretation of the fountain and the dramatic local history which it came to symbolise. He “turned it over” so that there is only a kind of shallow pool at the top, while the noise of water allows to identify that the fountain indeed operates with force, but below the surface. This was to symbolise the open wound in local history.
In this very place, on the wall of the city hall building, in close proximity to the Upper Fountain, Dieter Haist from the University of Kassel placed a plaque commemorating the Gypsy community of Kassel.
Description of commemoration
The plaque was embedded on the facade of the historic city hall building in Kassel, near the Aschrott Fountain.
The plaque is made of bronze and its dimensions are 50×80 cm. The inscription was made in a sans serif font, raised above a smooth background. Letters and the background have the same colour. Between the founder’s name, i.e. the Kassel City Hall, and the date of unveiling the plaque – June 1996, there is the city coat of arms: a diagonal sash dividing the shield from the upper left to the right lower side, and clover leaves on the sides: 3 + 4 on the left and 4 + 2 on the right of the sash.
The whole plaque is encircled with a narrow, simple frame without ornaments.
Inscriptions
In German:
Zum Gedenken an die Kasseler Sinti und Roma, die während der nationalsozialistischen Diktatur deportiert und ermordet wurden. Insgesamt fielen dem Völkermord über 500 000 Sinti und Roma zum Opfer. // Zur Mahnung an die Lebenden, dem Rassismus rechtzeitig entgegenzutreten. // Der Magistrat der Stadt Kassel — Juni 1996
Translation:
In memory of the Sinti and Roma from Kassel who were deported and murdered during the Nazi dictatorship. Together with them, over 500,000 Sinti and Roma fell victim to genocide. As a reminder for the living to respond in a timely manner to racism. // Kassel City Hall — June 1996.
Date of the unveiling
June 23, 1996
Initiator
Verband Deutscher Sinti und Roma Landesverband Hessen e.V.
Address
Square/terrace above the street
Königsstraße 8, 34117 Kassel, Germany
Location
51°18’43.3″N 9°29’32.7″E
51.312030, 9.492428
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