Temporary memorial commemorates Nazi murders of sick people

A concrete bus commemorates the victims of the Nazi murders of patients, including those from the Erlangen sanatorium and nursing home. Lord Mayor Florian Janik and Prof. Thomas Müller from ZfP Südwürttemberg, the owner of the memorial, spoke on February 6 to mark its installation on Hugenottenplatz. The monument is expected to be on display in Erlangen until the end of the year.

Buses drove through the country in 1940/1941 for all to see

To commemorate the Nazi euthanasia crimes, the artists Hoheisel and Knitz have recreated the buses that were used to transport patients to the killing centers as part of "Aktion T4". Since 2007, one such bus has been permanently parked in front of the former Ravensburg-Weissenau sanatorium. A second bus changes its location. It has already been seen at 19 locations in Germany. They symbolize the fact that buses drove through the country in 1940/1941 for all the world to see, picking up people to be murdered.

905 patients were also taken away from the Erlangen sanatorium and nursing home, mostly by train. They were murdered in the Pirna-Sonnenstein and Hartheim near Linz killing centers. In addition, over 1,900 people died in Erlangen between 1939 and 1945. Around 700 of these died as a direct and indirect result of poor nutrition and structural neglect. The city of Erlangen is commemorating the victims by temporarily erecting the memorial until the end of 2024.

A comprehensive concept for a memorial and future location in Erlangen is currently being developed in collaboration with Friedrich-Alexander University and the city. The art project in Erlangen will be accompanied by events. They will focus on the topic of Nazi "euthanasia" and report on the further development of the memorial site. This also includes a traveling exhibition on the "Grey Bus Memorial" designed by Hoheisel and Knitz. It provides information about the historical background and the various locations.

Photos: wirdenkenlokal