Commemoration: 80th anniversary of the Cumiana massacre

Last weekend, a delegation from Erlangen took part in the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Cumiana massacre in Italy. At the site where the 51 people were shot, Lord Mayor Florian Janik emphasized the responsibility to uphold the memory. Today's friendship between the cities of Cumiana and Erlangen is a special example of both countries coming to terms with their Nazi and fascist past. And it is a symbol of the joint commitment to reconciliation and peace.

Civil society engagement indispensable for the European peace project

Lord Mayor Florian Janik said in his speech: "We are looking forward to the upcoming European elections this year in May, also because we are witnessing the resurgence of right-wing populist forces in our countries. This makes it all the more important to continue to commemorate the deeds of the National Socialist and fascist actors so that a terrible chapter like the one we witnessed back then is not repeated. However, gatherings like ours today and the fact that hundreds of thousands of people have once again taken to the streets against right-wing extremism in many German cities since the beginning of the year give me hope. The commitment of civil society, as expressed in our friendship between cities, is indispensable for the European peace project."

Involving younger generations

The 51 innocent civilians who were shot there on April 3, 1944 by Italian SS units on the orders of an officer who later lived unrecognized in Erlangen as an act of revenge for a partisan attack were commemorated. A torch relay to the site of the shooting took place as part of the commemorative event. On Saturday, the Lord Mayor laid a wreath at the mausoleum of the fallen. In discussions about future joint projects with the representatives of the town friendship, particular emphasis was placed on involving younger generations. The central commemorative event began on Sunday morning with a commemorative procession from the town hall to the site of the massacre. In addition to the delegation from Erlangen, a delegation from the French twin town of Cumiana, Saint Jean de Bournay, with its mayor Franck Pourrat and the Vice President of the Senate of the Republic of Italy, Anna Rossomando, also took part.

The mayors of the three cities and Cumiana's honorary citizen, Manfred Kirscher from Erlangen, emphasized how important it is to work together for peace, especially in view of the resurgence of right-wing populist forces and the raging wars and conflicts worldwide. The clergyman Don Ciotti also said in his speech that we must be aware of our responsibility for the victims of the massacre.

Photo City of Erlangen: The memorial in Cumiana