"Erinnern für die Zukunft - Lidice-Mahnmal" 1989

Jürgen Waller

"Remembering for the Future – Lidice memorial"

Memorial plate, wood, iron, stone

Beam 4.1m x 0.25m and 3.5m x 0.25m

Wall 1.29m x 0.65m, base 2.7m x 1.2m

The installation by Jürgen Waller consists of burned remains of wall stone and wood, which bring to mind images about the destruction of human settlements. The work is a memorial for the complete destruction of the village of Lidice by the national socialists in the Czech Republic in 1942. Every one of the village’s 172 men that was older than 15 was shot. The 195 women were deported the concentration camp in Ravensbrück, where 52 of them were killed. The 98 children of the village were taken to the youth concentration camp in Litzmanstadt and sorted by racist criteria. 12 children were taken to Germany for “germanisation”, the rest was killed in the extermination camp in Kulmhof. There is now a memorial and museum at the location of Lidice.

Together with antifascist groups from Bremen, the artist Jürgen Waller deliberately chose the location beside the sculpture “Jüngling” (Ger. “youth”) by Herbert Kubica for his installation. The “youth” was originally erected in 1936, with a laurel wraith, by the side of the choir of the church of Our Lady as a memorial for the fallen soldiers of the division Gerstenberg and the Free Corps Caspari who died on 4^th February 1919. Both military units were deployed in the destruction of the workers’ councils of Bremen. In 1955, the sculpture was relocated to the old wall parks without the laurel wraith and on a new base without mention of its previous function.

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