The Commemorative Container

The Commemorative Container as a symbol to mark the arson attack on the Jewish home for senior citizens at no. 27, Reichenbachstrasse.

How can one counter a forgotten terrorist act? Fifty years after the event, in an informative way that is relevant to the present day yet is dignified with regard to the victims and their relatives and awakes the awareness of the general public? The organisers decided in favor of a horizontal stele on Gärtnerplatz within sight of the crime scene, symbolized by a container covered with photographs of the fire brigade during its assignment. The inside was dedicated to the victims.

This commemoration in the immediate vicinity of Reichenbachstrasse was backed by guided tours over the two-month period that the installation could be visited. The project was devised by Christian Springer, founder of the “Schulterschluss” initiative, and Bernhard Purin, director of the Jewish Museum Munich. Those interested were able to gain a more in-depth impression of the extent of this tragic chapter in Munich’s history. As a result, the memory of the deceased and the knowledge that, to date, no one has has ever been brought to justice for this crime, have once again become part of the city’s collective memory.