Kiel (memorial/stone)
Historical background
The memorial commemorates 334 Gypsies from the German land of Schleswig-Holstein, who were deported to concentration camps, and from whom only few returned after the war.
See also: The Gestapo memorial https://www.sh-kunst.de/melanie-pilz-gestapo-mahnmal/
Description of commemoration
Hiroshimapark and Ratsdienergarten occupy an area comparable to the area of buildings in the entire Altstadt district and spread around two lakes separated by the Martensdamm causeway. On the west side of the lake there is the town hall and the Opernhaus Kiel (theatre) and a complex of conceptually interesting monuments. Entering the park from Lorentzdamm street (near Lauprecht Rechtsanwälte Notare – Lorentzendamm 36) – we get straight to the memorial dedicated to the Gypsies.
At the edge of the park, between a linden and a chestnut tree, there is a stone with its front side chiselled flat, set on a turf-covered pedestal. At the bottom there is an inscription in German, carved / sandblasted quite deeply in the material, using a decorative font that resembles handwriting.
Above the inscription, the artist created a bas-relief of a bust of Mary (stylised as Naïve art), above which a rose flower is located. The background has been chiseled by hand, creating a rough surface.
In front of the memorial there is a green plaque with the coat of arms of the city and the name of the office for green areas at the City Hall. The inscription in German on the plaque reads: “On May 16, 1940, the genocide of the Sinti and Roma began, called the “May Deportation.” Most of the 2,500 Gypsies from the Schleswig-Holstein region were deported to occupied Poland, to death camps and ghettos. By 1945, National Socialists had killed half a million Roma and Sinti – women, men and children.”
Inscriptions
In German:
Zum Gedenken an die Sinti und Roma aus Schleswig-Holstein, die dem Völkermord der Nazis zum Opfer fielen.
Translation:
In memory of the Sinti and Roma from the Land of Schleswig-Holstein, victims of genocide perpetrated by the Nazis.
Date of the unveiling
1997
Author
Heiko Weis
Address
The memorial at the Hiroshima Park, close to Lauprecht Rechtsanwälte Notare – Lorentzendamm 36, 24103 Kiel
Location
54°19’30.5″N 10°07’58.6″E
54.325139, 10.132944
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Materials
https://www.sh-kunst.de/gedenkstein-fuer-die-deportierten-und-ermordeten-sinti-und-roma/
http://gedenkorte.sintiundroma.de/index.php?ortID=43
Gallery
