Festive Inauguration of 5 new Stones of Remembrance in the Inner City (First District) on September 7, 2017
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About 45 people, including relatives, initiators, District Representatives, supporters and interested residents attended the opening ceremony on Desider-Friedmann-Platz.
Pia Oetheimer and Lena Scheurich opened the ceremony with a touching vocal arrangement of a song by Leonhard Cohen.
Matthias Beier made welcoming remarks, reporting that the Association had placed Stones at more than 20 addresses in the Inner City during the past few years. He added that this had been made possible with great support of many people, as well as important subsidies from the District and the City of Vienna.
District Head Frau Klubobmann’s deputy Patricia Davis made welcoming remarks to everyone present. She welcomed everyone, stating that the spirit of the long history of the Jews in the inner city is palpably alive.
We then visited the new stations together.
Rotenturmstraße 21
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David Kaplan from South Africa commemorated his great-aunts: Paula Szirmay and Hermine Lazar; and his great grandparents: Arnold and Hermine Deutsch.
Annagasse 3a
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Sylvia Paskin traveled with her friend from England to remember her grandmother, Helene Chiger, and her grandmother’s first and secon husbands: Julius Apfel and Edmund Chiger. It was a very moving moment when Sylvia Paskin recited the poem she herself had writeen about her family. link
Johannesgasse 18
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Florence Moehl from Germany commemorated four relatives: Leo and Hans Tausig, and Friederike and Erich Langstein.
Grillparzerstraße 11
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Johanna Bauer and her sister Toni Altenberg from Austria commemorated their uncle Georg Herschmann, his wife Leonora and their son Felix Arieh Herschmann.
Werdertorgasse 4
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Jill Burnett and Mario Oetheimer, residents of Vienna since 10 years, initiated a plaque listing all 20 people deported and murdered from this address.
In addition, Bee Hobbs and her family from England commemorated their great-grandparents Hermine and Samuel Bock who had lived in the house.