Wennigsen. “A person is only forgotten when his name is forgotten,” says the Talmud, the textbook of Judaism. The two stumbling blocks at Neustadtstrasse 15 – the Semlers’ last place of residence before they were deported by the National Socialists in 1945 – ensure that the names of Laya and Adolf Semler will not be forgotten in Wennigsen. The laying of the memorial plaques brought granddaughter Joanna Kalowski and her children Michaela and Rick to the Deister community. An emotional visit that the great-grandchildren processed in a podcast – and that forged a close bond between them and Wennigsen.
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The commemoration of the crimes of the Nazi dictatorship in Wennigsen includes the memorial event for Kristallnacht on November 9th. This time the podcast “Layas Way Home” will be featured in the Bürgersaal from 5 p.m., among other things. “This is fantastic. “We were thrilled when we found out about it and feel very honored,” says Rick Kalowski, who works as a successful screenwriter in Australia.
A touching journey
Sister Michaela, a radio producer for Australian radio ABC, had the idea of documenting her visit to Wennigsen as a kind of radio series. “She and I discussed a suitable format, I wrote a proposal and we presented it to ABC,” recalls the 52-year-old. Those responsible at the station were quickly convinced.
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They survived the Holocaust: Laya and Adolf Semler in 1939.
Source: private
The result is a two-part podcast about the Kalowskis’ touching journey, which culminates in their participation in the laying of the Stolperstein on Neustadtstrasse. In it, mother Joanna Kalowski speaks deeply about her grandparents Laya, a Jew born in Poland, and Adolf Semler, a German veteran of the First World War. From 1943 to 1945 they lived in an apartment on the site of today’s house number 15. “The remarkable thing about my grandfather was that he converted to Judaism between the world wars and refused to give up on my grandmother.”
The last Jewish woman deported from Wennigsen
So in 1945 both were arrested and deported. She was sent to the concentration camp in Theresienstadt, he to a forced labor camp near Eschershausen. When they separated, Adolf made a promise to his Laya. “We will survive this. And when it’s over, we’ll meet in Wennigsen.” He turned out to be right. In the podcast, Joanna Kalowski describes how her grandfather walked five kilometers to the village square every day after the liberation by the Allies because the survivors from Theresienstadt were announced there – until one day Laya was also on the list. She was therefore very likely the last Jew deported from Wennigsen and probably the only survivor. In 1947 the couple emigrated to Australia.
In Wennigsen, the processing of this family history has left its mark – and not just in the form of the stumbling blocks. In the Caleidis development area, a street is called Laya-Semler Weg. “My grandma would be happy that so many children live on her street,” said her granddaughter at the ceremonial unveiling of the street sign.
New development area Caleidis: Here Wennigsen named a street after the Holocaust survivor Laya Semler.
Source: Stephan Hartung
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Podcast was nominated for several awards
And Laya’s great-grandchildren? Rick describes the visit to Wennigsen as “a wonderful experience, impressive and moving”. To this day, he and his sister often think back on the trip. They are grateful for the warm manner in which they were received by the people in Wennigsen. “And of course we often think of our great-grandparents Laya and Adolf. I find her story endlessly moving and heroic,” says the 52-year-old.
We will always be grateful to Wennigsen for this opportunity.
Rick Kalowski,
Great-grandchildren of Holocaust survivors Laya and Adolf Semler
That’s why the siblings consider it a “privilege” that they were able to take part in the memorial events and make a podcast out of it. “So many families around the world have traumatic stories like the ones we shared. How many manage to capture this on a recording that remains forever and that they can play for their families?” asks Rick and emphasizes: “We will always be grateful to Wennigsen and his people for this opportunity.”
Commemorative event for Kristallnacht
This year too, the community of Wennigsen, in collaboration with the Alliance for Solidarity, is inviting people to an event to commemorate the victims of Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938. The meeting is at 4:25 p.m. at the roundabout on Forges-les-Eaux square. From there we go to the memorial at the Klosteramthof to lay a wreath. The subsequent memorial event will take place at 5 p.m. in the Citizens’ Hall of the town hall. It is entitled “Remembrance is work: arduous, fulfilling, necessary and identity-forming.” The program, which lasts approximately one hour, includes music and speeches. Mayor Ingo Klokemann then invites all guests to a conversation.
“Layas Way Home” was nominated in the “Best History Series” category at the Australian Podcast Awards in 2023 and in the “Best Narrative Documentary” category at the 2024 New York Radio Festival Awards. “We didn’t win, but just being nominated was an honor for us,” says Rick. The podcast can be heard on the website www.layaswayhome.com.
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Mother Joanna also looks back on the trip to Wennigsen with deep impressions. As a mediator, the 77-year-old has been involved in community work her entire professional life. “I wanted to bring people together to heal wounds and create societies that are diverse and tolerant,” she says. “When I came back and people asked me how Wennigsen was doing, I only had one thing to tell them. I saw the world as it could be.”
HAZ
