Keupstrasse: Memorial is delayed until 2026 - Reker expresses regret

Keupstrasse: Memorial is delayed until 2026 - Reker expresses regret

In the last meeting of the Mülheim district council, the Mayor Henriette Reker could be found, which spoke on topics that affect the district. Among other things, Wiener Platz and the last planned memorial on Keupstrasse were on the agenda. Reker announced that the memorial, which is reminiscent of the victims of the NSU attack, cannot be realized in 2026. The reasons for this lie in the delay in the procurement of location and the associated financial challenges. The city does not belong to the property, which makes things complicated, and therefore Reker does not expect to be realized before 2026. Even the increasing construction costs do not make the project easier because they cannot be approved in the urban budget. There is also uncertainty about a possible interim solution for the memorial.

During her 90-minute visit to Mülheim, Reker also expressed her concern about Wiener Platz, which is considered anxiety space and urgently needs to be upgraded. In cooperation with various social offers and increased graffiti disposal, measures to improve space design and to increase cleanliness will be taken in the future. The creation of a drug consumption room and new greening elements is also planned. Age and new building as well as a new sculpture should make the Viennese more attractive.

progress in the memorial project

also important is the fact that the "Gentes Group" is traded as the new owner of the property on Keupstrasse/Schanzenstrasse. A preliminary building request has already been submitted here, which is classified as approved by the city of Cologne. This could be the first step in the direction of a realistic implementation of memory to the NSU victims, according to the information of the city of Cologne.

A board of trustees, staffed by the attack directly affected, will help shape the content of the monument in the future. In a council meeting on October 26, 2023, it was discussed which films and videos were to be shown. Sarah Niknamtavin expressed that the NSU specifically attacked migrant people in several German cities. These recent events testify to an increasing interest in emphasizing the social relevance of the memorial, while at the same time building up to the racism that critical of racism are supposed to find space.

social responsibility

The involvement of those affected in important decision -making processes was emphasized at the meeting as the cornerstone for the project. Cologne politics and the city society are called up to process the past attacks and to tackle structural changes. In particular, initiatives such as "Herkesin Meydanı - Space for everyone" and "Keupstrasse is everywhere" show how important the dialogue is about the place of remembrance, which should adequately take into account the victim. It is high time that the Cologne city society pulls together together to enable the memory of these serious incidents.

Overall, it remains to be hoped that the coming years will finally take the necessary steps to realize the memorial on Keupstrasse and create a place that not only reminds of the past, but also takes up current social problems.