Mind Stone

Today I had to be in Dieburg to pick up my new driver licence, that replace the very old "Lappen" from 1984!

In front of the office is this touching memorial stone, called Mind Stone.
"The memorial stone is intended to keep alive a local debate related to the cruel crimes of the Nazi dictatorship. This form of personal remembrance is a possible, very important contribution to keeping history alive and preventing such crimes in the future.
In particular, by mentioning the names of the people who lived in the middle of our society, the entire human tragedy is consciously brought to light without many words.
In 1933, depending on the source, 150 - 300 Jews lived in Dieburg. 36 Jews were murdered in the concentration camps."
Their names are written on the backside together with this quote of Jorge Santayana:
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

The Stone is the result of a private initiative and it is created by the local artist Martin Konietschke.
He said about the relief:
"The relief shows a family of four with luggage walking down a street. Nothing spectacular. What is unusual is that everyone, apart from the child in the mother's arms, turns their backs to the viewer and once you notice that the mother and father are wearing an armband with the Star of David, it should be clear that this is not going to be a Sunday outing. Everyone is well dressed. The mother wears high heels. You don't know where you're going yet and you want to make a good impression. The clothing provides a subtle additional reference to the era. The scene is an everyday one. These could be any people, including neighbours, friends, acquaintances, on their way to a long weekend. An excursion. But you could also do it yourself - it could be your own family.

So that the situation - due to its apparent everydayness - does not slide into the too normal or even into anonymity - and thus into the ignorable - I have the toddler maintain "eye contact" with the viewer. Because: Anyone who is looked at also looks back. The relief is modelled very flatly without losing its three-dimensional force. Towards the center of the relief the figures almost seem to dissolve. A glimpse of what will happen...."