Dagmar Vobkuhler was told a lot about the time of the persecution of the jews in her parents' home. Tales that have embossed it. In 1984, she joined the "forderverein ehemalige synagoge". The club had already been in existence for two years. Vobkuhler has led the forderverein since 1994, supported by her deputy, margret lother. On the weekend the association celebrated its 30th anniversary.
"It is not a vernissage and not a finissage, it is a midissage", the chairwoman noted, because the exhibition under the title "people, walls and mazewes" has been running for some time. Michael schneeberger took care of the compilation of the exhibits.
In addition to members of the foundation, the mayor of vobkuhler siegfried muller and his predecessors bernd moser and rudolf schardt as well as laudator peter kneer, vobkuhler buried walter reed from america, the descendant of a jewish family expelled from Kitzingen.
Deplorable condition
"The condition of the synagogue in 1982 was deplorable", peter kneer recalled in his review. Broken windows and a leaking roof. Against this background, the forderverein was founded in 1982 with the aim of renovating the former house of worship for a meaningful use. The bernbeck circle had already worked out plans for it.
Even though the building was considered unattractive in its former state, the state office for the preservation of historical monuments prohibited its demolition. The forderverein therefore wanted to present the condition of the building and its concerns to the public and organized a first exhibition in 1983 under the title "judaism in kitzingen and the surrounding area".
"In the process, we got to know the concern and the insecurity of the kitzingen burgers", kneer recalled. The son of one of the men who took part in the destruction of the house of god in 1938 asked schuchtern if he could visit the exhibition.
Horror remained hidden from many
The horror of expulsion and extermination has certainly remained hidden from many burgers, conceded kneer. Most people had only marginally followed the eichmann trial in 1961 and its successor trials in frankfurt.
Only in an account by engelbert bach, who as a child had to help with a ladder truck to bring kitzingen jews to the train station, and in a meeting with the rabbi isaiah gotthelf wohlgemuth, were kitzingen citizens' own experiences made public.
From the beginning, the synagogue association aimed for a comprehensive renovation of the building. In 1984, students from the university of applied sciences in wurzburg-schweinfurt conducted a structured survey of the building's condition and suggested possible renovations.
Contact made with former ticklers
At the same time, nikolaus arndt and michael schneeberger initiated contact with former jewish burghers of kitzingen, the regular maintenance of the jewish cemetery in rodelsee was organized, and gisela bamberg created, as if out of nowhere, a library that became a recognized archive.
In 1989 the city council made the decision in favor of renovation. It took place in the years 1990 to 1993 in coordination with the israelitische kultusgemeinde and its chairman david schuster. The "synagogue within the synagogue" was created with prayer room and the possibility of cultural use.
After the renovation of the synagogue, the association was able to really take off. He set up a varied program of events with impressive documentaries. The topics ranged from jewish athletes to viennese songs and texts by jewish cabaret artists. As in other cities, it was possible to lay stumbling stones. Publications and books put the synagogue association responsibly on.
Transfer ends commitment
Agnes kaschmieder was responsible for the association for only four years, a transfer ended her activity. During the festivities on sunday, she described the difficulties until she managed to get the city to let go of an old picture of the synagogue for the entrance hall. Events like the first holocaust memorial day in 1996 led her to think about how the memory could be kept alive in another way. Programs such as cemetery maintenance, lectures, musical contributions and the laying of stumbling stones were created as important impulses for continuing to deal with the time of national socialism.
"Lower franconia is the most jewish rural area in germany", michael schneeberger reported on his research into families. He initiated the exhibition "people, walls and mazewes, which was organized at the same time as the club's anniversary and will continue until the 30th. September, from 11 a.M. To 5 p.M. Every day.
Schneeberger vividly depicts with pictures by four kitzingen photographers what is still tangible of jewish life in the kitzingen medine (living environment). The pictures show the rough fulle of jewish life in the region, but also the marginalization of the inhabitants at that time. "The exhibition is intended to give an impression of the life that once existed in the region", he declared.