Delmenhorst refuses grant: Wehnen memorial in the crisis!

Delmenhorst refuses grant: Wehnen memorial in the crisis!

In Delmenhorst, the rejection of a funding application for the Wehren memorial ensures plenty of lack of understanding and concern. Instead of the promised 5000 euros, which were originally made available for 2024, the grant is missing due to an administrative illumination. Ingo Harms, a member of the commemorative group, was irritated by the decision of the Finance and Economic Committee, which has not given the application of the SPD and Council Group Delmenhorster List/Die Linke. Harms considers the reason to be inadequate and points out that the project draft has already been validated by the scientific commission of the Lower Saxony Memorial Foundation. This was also reported by Weser-Kurier.

The Wehren memorial, which is on the site of the former healing and nursing institution, is reminiscent of the terrible hunger murders that were committed to mentally ill people during the National Socialist period. In the period from the 1930s, the number of deaths in the clinic near Bad Zwischenahn doubled, which leads to a terrifying record of at least 1,500 deaths. This has been documented in the memorial for 21 years and was the result of the committed research by historian Ingo Harms, who has uncovered the connections since the late 1990s. The memorial is currently operated on a voluntary basis, but only has limited capacities and no professional employees, which makes the situation even more difficult.

difficult financial situation

The solution to the space problems could be promised by a larger building complex by the Karl-Jaspers Clinic. However, a proud 740,000 euros are required for the renovation and redesign of the exhibition. The Lower Saxony Memorial Foundation has announced that it will cover half of the costs, but the remaining funds must be applied by the municipalities. A corresponding application of over 370,000 euros was submitted to the district association Oldenburg, which has created some hurdles in responsibility, since all nine cities and counties have to agree. While the city of Oldenburg contributes 9,000 euros annually, Delmenhorst had to withdraw the promised 5,000 euros. This development continued to complicate the situation for the memorial group.

Harms criticizes the previous disagreement among the municipalities and demands that everyone involved return to the table in order to clearly regulate the financial obligations. The Euthana Siefing Working Group also called on the relevant actors to take responsibility. The historical processing of the role of the district association Oldenburg (BVO) in the Nazi era is criticized as inadequate; Nevertheless, the BVO sees itself as responsibility, but cannot make any concrete decisions. The experiences from this uncertain financial mixture show how important a clear statement and support at the local level is in order to continue to operate and expand the memorial.

memory culture in change

The problems in Delmenhorst reflect a larger phenomenon in German memory culture. A study by the "multidimensional memory monitor" (memo) shows that many Germans believe that they are well informed about National Socialism, but have great gaps in knowledge, for example about specific victim groups. 90 percent reject comparisons between suffering during Corona pandemic and suffering in the Nazi era, which indicates how difficult and complex the topic is still. The examination of the Nazi past remains of great relevance, especially in times when new forms of historical mediation develop, such as digital entrances and interactive formats that appeal to particularly younger people.

The challenges with which the Wehren memorate is confronted illustrate how precious and necessary the memory of the victims of the Nazi era is. Without sufficient means and support, the valuable work that is done here could be at risk. It is time that both the municipalities and society take responsibility overall to preserve this important part of our history.