85 years ago, on 22.20.1940, the Gauleiter of Baden, Ernst Wagner, ordered the 349 Jewish people still living in Offenburg to the gymnasium of the Schiller Gymnasium. From there, they were transported to camps in Gurs or Rivesaltes in southern France. Full of uncertainty about what would happen next,
their status or the whereabouts of family members, they had to endure inhumane accommodation conditions.
The tour begins in the Jewish section of the Salmen and uses Offenburg families, including the Cohn family, to show how the deportations took place. Many died either in Gurs or later in one of the concentration camps. The group then moves on to the museum in the Ritterhaus to learn more about the reflection and commemoration of Gurs. One touching exhibit there, a tapestry, was created by Holocaust survivor Eva Mendelson, née
Cohn. The artist is a recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit, visited Offenburg for many years as a contemporary witness and will become an honorary citizen of the city in autumn 2025.
their status or the whereabouts of family members, they had to endure inhumane accommodation conditions.
The tour begins in the Jewish section of the Salmen and uses Offenburg families, including the Cohn family, to show how the deportations took place. Many died either in Gurs or later in one of the concentration camps. The group then moves on to the museum in the Ritterhaus to learn more about the reflection and commemoration of Gurs. One touching exhibit there, a tapestry, was created by Holocaust survivor Eva Mendelson, née
Cohn. The artist is a recipient of the Federal Cross of Merit, visited Offenburg for many years as a contemporary witness and will become an honorary citizen of the city in autumn 2025.
This text was translated by an AI.
