The costs of grass cutting versus Memory of Holocaust victims buried in Sweden. Jewish Congregation of Stockholm plans to remove the Holocaust Memorial to cut costs!

The very first model of the Holocaust Monument consists of six simple memorial stone stubs representing six death camps, as well as six million Jews who perished. The stones have been placed among the graves of about 80 Holocaust victims who died shortly after their return to Stockholm and were buried at the Cemetery. 

The Monument unveiling ceremony took place on October 6, 2019, at the North Jewish Cemetery in Stockhol,m attended by many. The Monument consists of six simple memorial stone stubs representing six death camps as well as six million Jews who perished. The stones have been placed among the graves of about 80 Holocaust victims who died shortly after their return to Stockholm and were buried at the Cemetery. 

In the Protocol 2019:8, from the Stockholm Jewish Congregation Council (see below), published on December 18, 2019, stating in paragraph 6 that "the Congregation Council has the right to remove it (the Monument) and so it will be done."

Persons present at this Congregation Meeting as members of the board:
Aron Verständig, Fladen Boskovic, Hanna Halpern, Dan Levy, Richard Mühlrad, Daniel Nisell, Lotta Reisch Jensen, Gabriella Riboe, Eva Stein und Michael Zamek.
Other Persons present at this Congregation Meeting: Isak Reichel, Peter Christensen, Laila Takolander, Harry Goldman, Gunilla Lefébure, Petra Kahn Nord.

None of the above-mentioned persons raised an objection to the decision to remove the Holocaust Memorial.

A letter of protest from the Swedish Holocaust Memory Association (SHMA) dated December 19th to the Jewish Congregation in Stockholm has been left without any response or reaction as of February 5th, 2020.

It is stunning that it took only 10 days for the Jewish Congregation in Stockholm - Aron Verständig Szugalski, Fladen Boskovic, Hanna Halpern, Dan Levy, Richard Mühlrad, Daniel Nisell, Lotta Reisch Jensen, Gabriella Riboe, Eva Stein, and Michael Zamek to decide to ruin the newly erected, October 6, Holocaust Monument.

The speed of action of the Jewish Congregation is amazing. The same Congregation have since 1995 (25 years) problem to decide to install the tap water at the Jewish Cemeteries. Washing of the hands when leaving the cemetery is an old tradition, and the cost of installation is approximately 2,000 USD.

The copy of the protocol from October 16th, 2019, and § 6 about the removal of the present Holocaust Monument. The protocol is signed by Chairman Aron Verständig. Secretary General Isak Reichel was also present at the same meeting. If needed, we can send the entire protocol original as the Pdf file.

To whom it may concern.

This letter is to urgently request your action to prevent the planned removal of the Holocaust Monument erected in October 2019 in Stockholm to commemorate the lost lives of the Holocaust victims brought to Sweden from Bergen Belsen in 1945.

The Monument has been established jointly with the Jewish Congregation of Stockholm and the Swedish Holocaust Memorial Association (SHMA) and supported by Heckscher Foundation as well as other private funds. The Jewish Congregation of Stockholm has specifically approved the design and site of the Monument, as previously jointly presented to Stockholm City Council in January 2019.

The Monument unveiling ceremony took place on October 6, 2019, at the North Jewish Cemetery in Stockholm, attended by many. The Monument consists of six simple memorial stone stubs representing six death camps as well as six million Jews who perished. The stones have been placed among the graves of about 100 Holocaust victims who died shortly after their return to Stockholm and were buried at the Cemetery. They were among approximately 600 survivors brought from Germany to Stockholm Harbour in UNRRA White Boats to seek medical care. As part of the Monument, these 80 gravestones, hidden for almost 75 years, were dug out, uncovered, and cleaned.

Each uncovered tombstone contains personal information about each victim, including date of birth, country of origin, and the date of death. Many of the victims were in their early teens when WWII had started and thus were very young when they all died in 1945-46 in Stockholm. Poland, Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Germany, Yugoslavia, and Greece were among the countries of birth. The assembly of these newly unearthed tombstones, together with the memorial stones, provides a unique and precious source of information about the otherwise completely lost individuals and their tragic histories.
The personalised experience and the testimonies (direct or indirect) of the fate of single individuals seem absolutely crucial in efforts to educate future generations about the Holocaust and to preserve the memory of the Holocaust.

In this context, we are particularly alarmed by Protocol 2019:8, from the Stockholm Jewish Congregation Council, published on December 18, 2019 stating in paragraph 6 that "the Congregation Council has the right to remove it (the Monument) and so it will be done."

It is of importance that Mr. Henrik Salomon of the Heckscher Foundation has already responded in protest to the Jewish Congregation Council demanding the immediate return of all the funds accepted and used by the Jewish Congregation on erecting the Monument.

Twenty-five years ago, on the 50th anniversary of the Death marches and the liberation of the concentration camps, the Jewish Congregation had suddenly opposed the erection of the Holocaust Memorial, which commemorated the names of about 8000 Holocaust victims who came to Sweden after World War II. And yet since 1998, the Memorial proudly stands next to the Great Synagogue in Stockholm, and it would not be there but for your specific and effective intervention. It is with a similar plea that the Swedish Holocaust Memorial Association is asking for your help and action.

Incidentally, we have already written (and received no reply) to Aron Verständig, the Chairman of the Board of the Jewish Congregation in Stockholm.

Please let us know how we can be of further assistance, including the provision of documentation. We attach two photographs of the new Holocaust Monument - one from the inauguration and the other commemorating the Kristallnacht


Romuald Wroblewski
Chairman
Swedish Holocaust Memorial Association
romwro@gmail.com


The link to the story about the Monument and UNRRA White boats action.

The link to Holocaust Memorial Dedication at Northern Cemetery

People asked me if I had permission to build this Holocaust Monument. I not only had the permission from the Community but the Jewish Community in Stockholm officially approved and presented the Project as evidenced by the enclosed original document dated May 14th, 2019, and signed by the (same as above-mentioned) Chairman and the Secretary General of the Jewish Congregation in Stockholm. For the English translation, see below.

Logo of the Jewish Community in Stockholm 

Jewish Community 

in Stockholm

Stockholm 2019-05-14

Jewish Community project “ Field for the year 1945 survivors.”

In the Fall of 2018, Roman Wroblewski pointed out to the Jewish Community that the grave area J, called “field for the year 1945 survivors” (and also two rows in quarter K, which belong to the same group) at the North Jewish Cemetery in Solna, should be urgently restored.

During the Fall, Wroblewski, together with the stone conservator, Justyna Bamba, helped the Community to make the inventory of the gravestones that needed to be restored at the Jewish Cemetery. Every year (2017 and 2018), the Community let the volunteers from Paideia school to clean and wash the gravestones but Wroblewski pointed it out that all the gravestones after more than 70 years sunk down so deep in the soil that they were no longer visible and that rigorous renovation work was needed for the entire area so that the entire field would look dignified and clean.

Wroblewski suggested as well that 101 persons who are buried there in the J and K quarters -- mainly young women who have seen the Holocaust horrors and died shortly thereafter following arrival in Sweden-- carried the personal histories that should be told to the rest of the world, especially at the time of growing antisemitism.

Now, as the last Holocaust survivors who were telling their stories in the public schools are leaving us, this is the way to tell the stories of the young girls who survived the Holocaust but were not lucky to live.

The Jewish Community has started the project, and the dialogue is ongoing with the Commune of Stockholm, the City of Stockholm, the Museum of the City of Stockholm, and the Forum for Living History.   We have applied and have received funds from the Heckschers Foundation. We have also sought grants from Groschinsky's Memory Foundation and Riksantikvarieambetet. Funds are also being sought from the City of Stockholm.

The project is in two parts:  physical, to elevate the gravestones, renovate them, and, when needed, correct the names and birthplaces of victims so that the spelling would be correct.  Margot Hedemann's monument should be moved and placed at the head of the field. Six white stones are going to be placed in the six empty graves within the area.  The stone signpost will be placed just outside of the Jewish Cemetery to inform about this Holocaust victims' quarter. 

The second part of the project is to be virtual.  Every grave will get its own QR code with the information about the victim (their state of health, medical history, photographs) that will lead to cooperation between the City, schools, FFL, and others, and in this way, through the school projects, exhibitions, guided tours, and similar, memory will be kept of the persons buried there.  Hopefully, the project will be completed in 2020.

Chairman Aron Verständig

                                

Secretary General Isak Reichel

                                                           /signature/

Blue round stamp 

of the Jewish Community

Stockholm

People asked me if I had permission to build this Holocaust Monument. I not only had the permission from the Community but the Jewish Congregation in Stockholm officially approved and presented the Project as evidenced by the enclosed original document dated May 14th, 2019, and signed by the (same as above-mentioned) Chairman and the Secretary General of the Jewish Community in Stockholm. For the English translation, see above.