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Created: Wednesday, 11 February 2015 00:30
Do you know your city? “Täterspuren” (Traces of offenders) 2015
Mahngang Täterspuren 2015,FEB 13, 13.00 at Helmut-Schön-Allee
Since 2011, the Alliance „Dresden-Nazifrei“ calls for a "March for traces of offenders" (Täterspurenmahngang). We show at various places in the city that Dresden was not the innocent city of culture and arts it was proclaimed as during and after the war. SA and SS, Gestapo and forced labour, hatred and persecution war part of Dresden as they in every other city in Germany. Dresden was part of the war machinery of the “Third Reich” as well as the Holocaust. Dresden was bombed just like many other German cities and not more or less innocent than them Our "March for traces of offenders" aims to show this by presenting historic facts to selected places of interest.
The flyer with all stations of the march can be found here.
The stations of "Traces of offenders" 2015
1. 13.00: "ILGEN-KAMPFBAHN"
Herman Ilgen, founder of the foundation named after him, paid for erecting sports grounds on the Güntzwiesen (Güntz Green) . Opened in 1923, it was the venue for sports festivals and big events, but also served as parade grounds for the state military and alliances of warriors. On, 05/11/1944 ten „Volkssturm“-Battalions were sworn in on this venue.
2. 13:30: "GAUFORUM" AND REDEVELOPING THE CITY
If everything would have gone the way how the county leader Mutschmann and mayor Zörner envisioned it, this place would have seen the so-called Gauforum (County Forum). Furthermore, the entire city centre would have been redeveloped entirely. And although almost all underlying laws were already quashed, the responsible architect Paul Wolf thought them totally utopic.
3. 14:15: CITY HALL
In the beginning of 1933, the liberal mayor Wilhelm Külz refused to follow the demands of the Nazis to lay off unwanted civil servants and council members, set the NS-flag and so on. He was then put on leave on 14/03/1933 and eventually sacked in July 1933. His successor, the Nazi mayor Zörner opened on 23/09/1933 the first exhibition “Entartete Kunst” ("Degenerated Art")
4. 14:30: "DRESDNER BANK"
Between 1933 and 1942, business of the Dresdner Bank expanded massively, it then saw a triplication of the sum in its books. The immediate influence of the Nazis onto the bank relied on a direct influence of Hitler on the banks board of directors. Due to this, it took over the business of the long-standing private bank „Privatbank Arnhold“ as part of the arisation of Jewish assets. The Dresdner Bank, the first address of banking for the SS, is thought to be the larger German financial institution that was involved most with the crimes of the Nazi-regime.
5. 15:00: STATE THEATRE
After the Nazis got to power, many previously much-cheered artists of the state theatre and the Semper Opera lost their jobs on political and racial grounds.
THETRE SQUARE
In 1934, the Theatre week of the German Reich took place in Dresden. Its aimed at redeveloping art and culture so that it served the dictatorship of the Nazis.
"TASCHENBERGPALAIS"
The Taschenbergpalais was the headquarters of the defense-area Dresden and other Wehrmacht-agencies. It was destroyed on the 13th of February 1945. Its jewish owners were disowned and the associated Hotels, Restraurants and so on racially “cleaned”. The family never was never reimbursed after the liberation.
6. 15:30: CASTLE SQUARE 1, "STÄNDEHAUS"
The Building – Home of the Saxon Parliament, was stormed by SS troops on 09/03/1933 and the Parliament relinquished. Martin Mutschmann opened his office here in the same month. From 1936 it was also home to the “Club for Promoting the Saxon Nationhood”, whose goal it was to get the entire Saxon cultural live in line with an to serve the Nazi-propaganda.
7. 16:00: FRAUENKIRCHE
In common commemoration, the Frauenkirche is the symbol for the devastation of Dresden. However, that this was also centre of action for the counties secretary for religious affairs and leader of the association of Nazi-clergymen Friedrich Coch is hardly known. As NSDAP-member he was a major player in the cooptation of the evangelic church in Saxony.
Created: Wednesday, 11 February 2015 00:15
70 years on and still onging – the 13th of February 2015
This year, the bombardment of Dresden has its 70th anniversary and the people in charge in Dresden still didn’t get it that they way of dealing with this date is the very reason why various right-wing ideologies are so easily compatible with it. An exceptionally good example of this is their strive to make it the big commemoration-happening on the occasion of its “jubilee”. The focus is still on the bombardment and not what caused it!
Since 2011, the Alliance „Dresden-Nazifrei“ calls for a "March for traces of offenders" (Täterspurenmahngang). We show at various places in the city that Dresden was not the innocent city of culture and arts it was proclaimed as during and after the war. SA and SS, Gestapo and forced labour, hatred and persecution war part of Dresden as they in every other city in Germany. Dresden was part of the war machinery of the “Third Reich” as well as the Holocaust. Dresden was bombed just like many other German cities and not more or less innocent than them Our "March for traces of offenders" aims to show this by presenting historic facts to selected places of interest.
As far as we are concerned, the duty to elucidate is still prevailing. Admittedly, the relation of the people of Dresden towards history of the city has changed during the last few years, but last year there were already tendencies to go back to “peaceful commemoration” now as the Nazi-abuse allegedly vanished. This year will again see attempts to qualify the German debt – for example by levelling the German Blitz and the response of the allied forces – or even by trying to relinquish past accomplishments: Besides the Nazis, who are quite likely to again participate in the official commemoration ceremony without any hindrance, is it now the AfD trying to make “silent commemoration” of Dresden as innocent city of victims fashionable. With an own event on the old market (Altmarkt) they want to call for a “commemoration with dignity” and set the discussions about the Dresden culture of commemoration back to the stage of the 90s.
However, our „March for the traces of offenders“ is not to be mistaken for an open-air history lesson. It is rather our contribution to the debate on commemoration in Dresden by setting a questioning, critical counterpart to the noncritical commemoration. The well-led “self-commiseration” of the city, which is displayed well this year by inviting President Gauck, has to stop. Dresden would to better if it took advice from the late Richard von Weizsäcker: The 8th of May would present far more dignity to remember the cruelness of World War II and the guilt of the offenders to draw the right conclusions for the future – a day of liberation, just as Weizsäcker described already in 1985.
But more recent developments want to be taken into consideration as well. It is no coincidence that the “Pegida” movement of the recent weeks and months could make prejudices and hatred towards actual and alleged refugees again fashionable in Dresden and nowhere else. Just like it is also no coincidence that the amount of xenophobic attacks has risen sharply since the start of the “Pegida” demonstrations. In times of rising inhumane attitudes, we simply have to show solidarity and stand side-by-side with the ones who were and are victims of hatred, discrimination and violence.
As you can see, there are enough reasons to go to the streets to come terms with the past, also 70 years after the end of World War II – you are cordially invited to follow our call to do so with us!
No march, just marching off? – The Nazi plans concerning Feb, 13th.
The 2009 neo-Nazi march was the largest of its kind in Europe. Due to successful blockading efforts, the number of participants has continued to decrease in the in the following years. In 2014, February 13 saw no major Nazi event at all. Instead they have taken to smaller activities and a demonstration on the eve of the 13th. For the current year there is no significant Nazi mobilization effort to Dresden apparent, which obviously does not rule out spontaneous demonstrations similar to those of last year. We are focusing this years efforts on being better prepared for such a scenario and being able to react immediately to any sudden developments. We will be ready to act on spontaneous Nazi demonstrations around the February 13 – which also means that a call for blockades might be issued only shortly before the 13th, or at the 13th, perhaps even only a few hours in advance. We ask you to keep updated via our website, Facebook, or Twitter.
Our goal is as clear as ever: Wherever there are Nazis marching – we will block them!
Created: Wednesday, 15 May 2013 18:02
Redebeiträge zum Mahngang Täterspuren 2013
Am 13. Februar 2013 fand in Dresden der Mahngang Täterspuren statt, den das Bündnis Dresden Nazifrei abgehalten hat, um auf den Gedenkdiskurs in Dresden einzuwirken und das Bewusstsein für die Bedeutung Dresdens für den Nationalsozialismus zu wecken. Hier sind die auf dem Rundgang verwendeten Redebeiträge zu finden:
Created: Sunday, 09 February 2014 16:56
Do you know your city? - Täterspuren 2014
Täterspuren 2014, Demostration on 13/02/2014, 2:00 pm, Schützenplatz.
On every February 13th since 2011, our "March for traces of offenders" (Täterspurenmahngang) points out places where traces of the Nazi offenses can be found in Dresden. This was by no means was an "innocent city" as often suggested in the remembrance of February 13^th . It was an important hub of the war industry, thousands suffered here from forced labour and this place has also been an important host to key Nazi institutions to maintain the race ideology. Jewish citizens were ostracized, disenfranchised, deported and killed. We cordially invite you to look for traces of offenders with us in 2014.
The handout containing all information on the single sites and a map of the march can be found here.
The sites to find traces of offenders in 2014 are:
1. Schützenplatz
The "Dresden House of the People" on Schützenplatz, home of the general association of german unions was opened in 1902, enlarged 1930 and eventually occupied by Police and SA on March 8th , 1933. A sign reading ?SA Hostel? was placed at the entrance and the widely visible letters on the roof showing this to be the home of the unions were removed. After the building was handed back to the Unions on 26/03/1933 it was occupied again on 02/05/1933 and became home to the German Workers Front (Deutsche Arbeiterfront).
1a. Keglerheim
In the "Home to bowlers" (Keglerheim) in the Friedrichstraße 12, a traditional site to hold meetings of the local workforce, 9 workers and policemen were shot on January 25th , 1933. Many others were injured, 11 of them severely, as they attended rally held by the communist party KPD.
2. Wettiner Platz
The publishers of the Newspaper "Dresdner Volkszeitung", closely related to the SPD, and a book shop resided in this building. On 08/03/1933 it was occupied by the SA. Consequently, Party literature, books of poetry and fiction, newspapers and archived material was piled up in the front yard and eventually burned in a bonfire. Its basement got converted into a so-called "camp for preventive detention". From midst 1933 onwards, the producers of the daily newspaper of the saxon NSDAP "Der Freiheitskampf" and Nazi publishers resided in here.
3. Sternplatz
According to plans of the city's authorities, the Sternplatz was one of 100 designated places to collect dead bodies. The only building remaining after the war was the meanwhile 100-year-old building of the local health insurance.
4. Landesbauernschaft, Ammonstrasse 8
The building was errected between 1936 and 138 for the association of saxon farmers. This organization, founded 1933, was the - by force - united body of all firms, people and associations in saxon agriculture. During World War II, this body organized the complete war food economy, including the use of prisoners of war and other types of forced labor also in agriculture.
5. Florastrasse/Zwickauer Strasse
Engineering and accurate industries (optics, fine mechanics, electrical engineering) were used heavily to maintain the arms industry. A key site for air force industries was the Dresden area with numerous foreign workers in at least 781 companies. The Florastraße hosted a satellite camp of the concentration camp Flossenburg. Roughly 700 women from different countries had to perform forced labor in here. They were exploited brutally - many died.
6. Gestapo-Leitstelle
On todays "Bayrische Straße 16", the former Bismarkstraße 16/18, the previous Continental-Hotel was home to the local Gestapo Headquarters. Amongst others, their section IV B 4 was in charge of all state-police measures against Jewish citizens in Dresden and consequently also their stepwise deportation from 1942.
7. Technische Hochschule
On today's Friedrich-List-Platz, then still "Bismarckplatz", was the central building of the Dresden College of Technology (Technische Hochschule Dresden). The College showed significant influence of Nazi ideology even before 1933. 11 Professors, for example, signed a call published in a well-known Nazi newspaper to support the NSDAP prior the general elections in November 1932. Also the students were under increasing influence of the Nazi ideology whilst the the Nazi student body gained control over them.
Created: Tuesday, 12 February 2013 13:30
Ankündigung: Mahngang "Täterspuren" 2013
Hier nun der offizielle Flyer mit allen Infos zu den einzelnen Stationen und der Karte des Mahngangs.
"Den Bomben die in jener denkwürdigen Nacht vom 13. auf den 14. Februar 1945 die Stadt Dresden den Erdboden gleichmachten, verdanke ich mein Überleben. Was alles musste passiert sein, dass ein Mensch im Angesicht des verheerendsten Untergangs, den eine deutsche Stadt je erlebte, innerlich aufatmen konnte?"
Henny Brenner, Das Lied ist aus. Ein jüdisches Schicksal in Dresden, Zürich 2001, S. 7
In der Erinnerungskultur erscheint der 13.2.1945 als Zäsur, als Wendemarke in der Geschichte von Dresden. Wir wollen den Blickwinkel auf den 13.Februar in Dresden ändern. Vor der Momentaufnahme des 13.2. verblasst die jahrelange NS-Geschichte von Dresden. Eine Geschichte von Taten und Tätern, Rassenwahn und Antisemitismus, Denunziation und Verfolgung, Zwangsarbeit und Rüstungsproduktion. Wir wollen die Spuren der Täterinnen und Tätern aufnehmen und dabei einen Teil zu einer Sichtbarwerdung dieser Dresdener Geschichte leisten. Auf dem thematischen Spaziergang durch Dresden soll sowohl an prominente Nazitäter wie Martin
Mutschmann, Henry Schmidt und Ernst Wegner, als auch an den Alltag von Verfolgung und Ausgrenzung erinnert werden. Orte der Zwangsarbeit, Rüstungsproduktion und das Judenlager Hellerberg werden aus ihrer Vergessenheit zurück ins Bewusstsein geholt.
Mahngang "Täterspuren" / 13. 02. 2012 / Friedrich-List-Platz / 12:30 Uhr
