|
In einem wiederaufgebauten Seitentrakt des Leopoldstädter Tempels befindet sich heute ein Bethaus, ein Bad und ein Kindergarten, alles durch Stahltore gesichert und von Videokameras bewacht. An die Synagoge in der Großen Schiffgasse erinnert eine Gedenktafel. Und dort wo die polnische Synagoge stand, erhebt sich heute ein Wohnhaus. Eine Gedenktafel gibt es nicht, die Bewohner waren dagegen.
Was neu ist
Seit dem Gedenkjahr 1988 steht am Albertinaplatz, hinter Oper und Albertina, ein vom österreichischen Bildhauer Alfred Hrdlicka geschaffenes Mahnmal "Gegen Krieg und Faschismus". Kernstück ist die Bronzefigur eines straßenwaschenden Juden - ein Bild, das 1938/39 zum Alltag in Wien gehörte. Die aus der "Vergessenheit" geholte und nun in die Öffentlichkeit des Platzes, ins Zentrum der Stadt gestellte Vergangenheit hat in Wien heftigste Empörung und monatelange Diskussionen ausgelöst. Natürlich ging es nie um den Inhalt des Mahnmals, auch nicht um künstlerische Kategorien, es war der Ort, der nicht gepaßt hat.
The centre of the Jewish quarter was the school and the temple, which was situated on the Judenplatz. This place was the centre of this Jewish town until the Jews were driven away. The name of this place in the past was Schulhof. The Jewish school was one of the most important in the German speaking countries. Next to this school there was the Jewish hospital and the synagogue.
In the year 1406 after a big fire a new synagogue was built but this one was distroyed 1421 when the Jews were driven away again. The hospital was very important for the Jewish people because it was not only to heal the ill people but also for the old people.
1938, before the German entry, there were 183.000 Jewish people in Vienna. It was the biggest number of whole europe. In the year 1945 there were only 2.000 left from the Jewish people. 65.000 were died in the concentration camps and the rest had fled before the war broke out. Today there are 10 to12.000 Jews living in Vienna.
What was and today still exists
In a rebuilt side wing from the temple in Leopoldstadt there is today a prayhouse, a bath and a kindergarten. All of this is protected with big steel doors and is supervised with video cameras. In the Großen Schiffgasse was a synagogue and now there is a plaque there. And there where the polish synagogue was is now a residential building and the occupiers were against a plaque.
What is new
Since the memory year 1988 there is a memorial "against war and fascism" which was built from the austrian sculptor Alfred Hrdlicka and it is situated on the Albertinaplatz, behind the opera and the Albertina. The most important part of this memorial is a bronze figure of a Jew who is washing the streets. In the years 1938/39 this was part of the scene in our town.
Vocabulary
to drive away vertreiben
entry Einmarsch
concentration camp KZ
flee fliehen
side wing Seitenflügel/-trackt
prayhouse Bethaus
plaque Gedenktafel
residential building Wohnhaus
occupier Bewohner
memorial Mahnmal
sculptor Bildhauer
part of the scene in ourtown es gehört zum Bild unserer Stadt
|
