Memory of Emil Wendland: Civil voices demand more attention

Am 1. Juli gedenkt Neuruppin des Mordes an Emil Wendland, einem Opfer rechter Gewalt, mit einer Zeremonie und Diskussionen.
On July 1, Neuruppin commemorates the murder of Emil Wendland, a victim of right -wing violence, with a ceremony and discussions. (Symbolbild/NAG)

Memory of Emil Wendland: Civil voices demand more attention

Neuruppin, Deutschland - On July 1, Neuruppin thinks of the murdered Emil Wendland, a homeless person who was victim of a brutal attack by neo-Nazis in 1992. On this day, representatives of civil society are committed to ensuring that Wendland's name is not forgotten. Like Maz-Online reported, this year's commemorative events collapse with the visit of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Together with Neuruppin's mayor Nico Ruhle (SPD), a short commemoration is held on the plaque that was set up 20 years after the crime.

The Memorial initiative Emil Wendland, which was founded in 2022 and is in close contact with the Victim Perspective in Brandenburg, set a second event the later afternoon. This will start at 5 p.m. and deals intensively with the issues of homelessness and gender -specific violence. Patrick Weinz critically commented on the commemoration of the organization of events: he speaks of inadequate communication and sees signs of a possible capture of their work by the city administration.

a sign against forgetting

"It is important to set a sign against forgetting, especially with regard to violence and murders through right -wing agitation," says Weinz. The idea of ​​commemoration may be firmly anchored, but the memorial initiative calls for more integration of civil society votes for future events. Flowers are laid down at the memorial location, and representatives of "Neuruppin remains colorful" and the youth residential project in the middle of it will be present.

The memorial events not only offer space to remember, but also for a lively discussion. From 6 p.m., various speeches by Ines Rehfeld, the city equal opportunities officer, and Michaela Rönnefahrt are expected from the Women for Women Neuruppin. The memorial initiative will also present an exhibition with the title "No Beautiful Land", which illuminates the experiences of victims of right -wing violence.

A look at the tragic consequences

The required solidarity and joint action against violence are of greater importance in view of the shattering reality in Brandenburg. As fatoper-getter-getzt-in-brandenburg.de , there are a total of 23 known victims in the region who do not return home, which shows how the xenophobia can unsettle families and communities. The normalization of violence is a challenge that society has to face.

The discussion about right ideas and its effects on our world is more topical than ever. Attacks on memorials and social memory are worrying. Data on the increase in politically motivated crime, especially in the context of memorials, show how necessary the work of the memorial initiatives is. According to an analysis, over 1700 cases of politically motivated crime have been documented in Germany since 2019, the majority of right-wing groups have been assigned, as DetailsOrtNeuruppin, DeutschlandQuellen