Latvia – Hannover

»Deported to their Deaths« – panel 36 – Culture of Remembrance

For the 10th anniversary of the Riga Committee, the representatives of the member cities visited the main places of persecution in Riga and surroundings. Prior to their visit, the German War Graves Commission asked the delegates to bring “stones for Biķernieki” from their cities. These stones were chosen by youth and placed at the Biķernieki memorial, following the Jewish custom of honouring the dead by putting a small stone on the grave.

As a representative of the city of Hannover, mayor Ingrid Lange visited grade 8 classrooms in four different Hannover schools that carry the distinction “school without racism – school with courage”. Following their exploration of the Holocaust and the deportations to Riga in class, the students presented the mayor with more than 100 personal messages and numerous small stones to take with her to Riga.

With this endeavour, the Riga Committee pursued its mandate of fostering a democratic and open culture of remembrance in two ways: The two cultures of remembrance, which have largely been separate until now, were brought into contact, and the active involvement of youth in both communities is keeping memories alive.

Picture credits

1. Uwe Zucchi

2. Ingrid Lange

Details

Exhibition: Deported to their Deaths
Duration: December 15th, 2011 to January 27th, 2012
Location: Neues Rathaus Hannover, Bürgersaal
Panel: 36 from 39 – Culture of Remembrance
Size: 650 x 2050 mm
Technique: Digital print on Alu-Dibond