New monument in Redlham: Remember Josef Mandela and his story

New monument in Redlham: Remember Josef Mandela and his story

in Tuffeltsham, a small town in the municipality of Redlham, an honorable monument for the Polish forced laborer Josef Mandela was recently inaugurated. This project, supported by the Mauthausen Committee Vöcklabruck in close cooperation with the Vocational School Attnang and the community, aims to commemorate the tragic events of December 23, 1942 when Mandela was hanged under the ground law. At the moment, the monument aims to focus not only on the fates of forced laborers, but also to set a strong sign of solidarity with the victims of National Socialism, as Tips

Josef Mandela was denounced by his employer on March 20, 1942 and paid for it with his life. This dark episode of history intended with a memorial, which is intended to serve as a contribution to the culture of memory in the region. The chairman of the Mauthausen Committee Vöcklabruck, Frederik Schmidsberger, thanked his deputies in particular for their commitment in this important project. The role of Josef Duda from Schwanenstadt is also particularly worth mentioning, the records of which were important in the development of the monument.

A look at the story

In order to better understand the historical context, it is worth taking a look at the events around the Mauthausen concentration camp, where many forced laborers such as Mandela have been interned. Between 1938 and 1945, around 200,000 people went through the Mauthausen concentration camp, including many politically persecuted and prisoners of war. Tragically, 120,000 people were killed of these estimated, with most of the victims from Poland. A large part of the prisoners were used for forced labor in the SS quarries, as Memorial Museum.

The Mauthausen memorial, which opened in 1949, has set itself the task of keeping the memory of these cruel times awake. It not only offers a permanent exhibition on the persecution and living conditions of the prisoners, but also educational offers such as tours and workshops. Such social places of remembrance are important in order to appreciate and document the history and victims of Nazi crimes-a principle that the municipalities in Austria also pursue. According to [reminner.at] (https://www.erinnern.at/gedaechtnisorte-gemenkstaetten/gädkstaetten-und- remnache) is the development of numerous memorials in Austria a sign of trying and clarifying the events of the Nazi era.

The monument in Tuffeltsham thus fits into an important series of initiatives that not only commemorate the victims of National Socialism, but also contribute to the awareness of the population. It is a stone's throw from the Vocational School of Attnang, clearly visible next to the railway tracks. A place that not only keeps history alive, but also stimulates thinking about our responsibility towards the future.