Görlitz shocked: Books burned at the memorial for victims of fascism!

Görlitz shocked: Books burned at the memorial for victims of fascism!

In Görlitz, a brown underbelly made headlines: there was a shocking book burning at the memorial to the victims of fascism. Mayor Octavian Ursu is outraged and demands concrete consequences. In a statement, the CDU politician emphasized the need to hold those responsible accountable. “Such acts cannot be tolerated in Görlitz,” said Ursu, who also sent a relentless warning to the culture of remembrance.

The police discovered the devastating act last Thursday evening. Unknown perpetrators burned several books, the nature of which is not yet known. Fortunately, the monument itself remained undamaged, but the action is an ominous reminder of the book burnings of 1933, which are seen as a precursor to worse crimes. “It is an attack on intellectual freedom,” emphasized Ursu. The state security agency has already started investigating.

Against the background of remembrance

The incident comes at a sensitive time, as January 27, 2023 was the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism. On that day, Cologne city dean Robert Kleine placed a bouquet of flowers at the Edith Stein monument, which also commemorates the cruel crimes. “We must use the memory of the victims to take responsibility and not look away,” warned Kleine, recalling the 6 million Jews and many other generations who were murdered along with their beliefs.

The thoughts and commemorations surrounding Holocaust Remembrance Day remind us to show solidarity and enter into dialogue in order to counteract such events in the future. “We must always remind ourselves of fraternity, dialogue, justice and peace,” said Monsignor Kleine during his prayer.

The monument and its history

The memorial on Wilhelmsplatz, where the book burning took place, has an eventful history. Since 1948 it has served as a place of remembrance for the victims of fascism. The square itself is conveniently located between the city center and the train station and was created in 1849. A monument originally erected in 1895 commemorates Field Marshal Albrecht von Roon, but the square has since transformed into a place of remembrance. It fell victim to the metal donation in 1942 and is now a central point of contact for memorial claims.

The events in Görlitz and the accompanying thoughts on the culture of remembrance draw a link to the ongoing challenges that our society faces when dealing with the past. The ghost image of burned books is a warning sign: we must never forget what happened and must do everything in our power to prevent history from repeating itself.

Further details about the book burning and the investigations carried out can be found in the report by Mirror.

For more information about the commemoration in the Archdiocese of Cologne, please visit the website Archdiocese of Cologne.

Our thoughts are with everyone who suffered from the horrors of National Socialism. Unity in society with a look back at dark history also means fighting for the values ​​of humanity and freedom - every single day.

For the latest developments on this topic, stay tuned to the report from MDR.