“On the day the Auschwitz death camp was liberated, the Higher Regional Court of Bamberg commemorated all victims of the criminal acts of National Socialism and the murder of over six million Jews as well as hundreds of thousands of Sinti and Roma, homosexuals, the disabled, prisoners of war and forced labourers”.
With these words, the President of the Higher Regional Court, Lothar Schmitt, laid flower arrangements on the three commemorative plaques in the Higher Regional Court building together with the Attorney General Wolfgang Gründler, the President of the Bamberg Bar Association, Ilonadriver, the Chairman of the Bar Association, Rainer Riegler, and the Vice President of the Higher Regional Court, Andreas Zwerger.
The chairman of the lawyers’ association Rainer Riegler, the vice-president of the
Higher Regional Court Andreas Zwerger, the President of the Higher Regional Court Lothar
Schmitt, the President of the Bar Association Ilona Driver and
Attorney General Wolfgang Gründler laying down the bouquet of flowers
at the memorial plaque in memory of the disenfranchised, persecuted, expelled and
murdered members of the judiciary and lawyers of Jewish origin (from left). Photo: M
Keller
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With the commemorative plaque for the Bamberg lawyer Johannes Wölfel, who was executed by the National Socialists in 1944, and the memorial plaque for all members of the judiciary and lawyers of Jewish origin who were disenfranchised, persecuted, expelled and murdered, the idea of remembrance has been in the Higher Regional Court building for many years very present. Since last year, the third commemorative plaque for the Bamberg court clerk Willy Aron, who died in May 1933 in the Dachau concentration camp, has also been presented in a publicly accessible place within the justice building. The judiciary is showing that remembrance and commemoration must be an integral part of everyday judicial life. Especially in times when hatred, threats and insults against fellow citizens are spreading, when physical attacks on the innocent, the defenseless and even those responsible in society are becoming more common, it is important to keep addressing the victims and the circumstances how it came to be remembered in the past, said President Schmitt.
Due to the corona pandemic, the wreath-laying ceremony could only be carried out in a small circle.
To the background:
There are three commemorative plaques in the building of the Bamberg Higher Regional Court on Wilhelmsplatz. In the stairway to the second floor, a plaque donated by the Bamberg Lawyers’ Association commemorates the Bamberg lawyer Johannes Wölfel. A second plaque commemorates the disenfranchised, persecuted, expelled and murdered members of the judiciary and lawyers of Jewish origin. Since November 2021, the commemorative plaque for the Bamberg court clerk Willy Aron has been located on the second floor near two meeting rooms with increased public traffic.
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