Binz under criticism: Historical photo brings back painful memories

Binz under criticism: Historical photo brings back painful memories

In these sunny July days, an old photo is causing excitement in the picturesque seaside resort of Binz on the island of Rügen. The historical black and white image that shows the Bay of Binz and was reposted on Binz's official Instagram channel comes from 1938, a time that is associated with deep wounds in German history. How Picture reported, the November pogroms occurred just a few months after the time of recording, in which many Jewish citizens were disenfranchised and murdered. The municipality of Binz is remorseful and described the repost as a “bad and regrettable glitch”, which was immediately deleted.

Binz has touched on a sensitive point with this incident, because while the region is best known for its over 1,850 hours of sunshine per year, during which tourists relax on the beach, there are also historical shadows that have to be dealt with. The community is now planning to actively deal with its Nazi past, which is seen by many as an important step. The planned new Museum of Remembrance Culture and the revitalization of the existing documentation center in Prora are already being discussed.

Prora: A symbol of the past

Prora, a gigantic building complex directly on the Baltic Sea, tells its own story of National Socialist architecture and ideology. Planned by the Nazi organization “Kraft durch Freude” (KdF) in 1936, the facility was originally intended to serve as a recreational area for 20,000 people, but it was never used for this purpose. Construction work had to be stopped in 1939 due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Only the shell was completed at this point. In 1940 the area was used for military purposes, including as a training facility and hospital. These are some of the interesting details that come from NDR be illuminated.

The construction costs at that time were around 237 million Reichsmarks, which is equivalent to around 850 million euros today. All eight identical blocks of houses, which were originally intended to accommodate simple rooms with a sea view, stretch over a length of four and a half kilometers. The entire project became a symbol of a megalomania that shapes the historical memory of the region.

Focus on culture of remembrance

The repeated confrontation with the past is also an important topic beyond Binz and Prora. At the national level, there are efforts to keep the memory of the victims of National Socialism alive. The upcoming International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Holocaust on January 27, 2025 in Berlin will certainly once again point out the importance of the culture of remembrance. Reflected here bpb that dealing with history continues to pose challenges, especially with regard to social development and the increase in group-related misanthropy.

The past cannot be suppressed - the incident in Binz showed that once again. The community now has the opportunity not only to learn from its mistakes, but also to take responsibility. The hope is that this will translate into a respectful approach to history in order to educate future generations.