Shoah Wall of Names Memorial

The Republic of Austria took the Year of Remembrance 2018 as an opportunity for deep reflection on Austria's past. By creating a memorial for the Jewish children, women and men from Austria who were murdered in the Shoah, it intends to foster an awareness of remembrance, for present-day Austria as well as for its future generations. The Shoah Wall of Names Memorial will provide a central yet peaceful place where people can recall the fate of the approx. 65,000 Jewish victims and pay tribute to their lives.

For years, the National Fund has supported efforts to create a place where the victims can be remembered by name. At the initiative of the Austrian-born Holocaust survivor Kurt Yakov Tutter and the “Association for the Erection of a Shoah Wall of Names Memorial”, the first steps to realize this important memorial project were taken in 2018.

For the Association, it is of particular importance to be able to realize this important memorial project in cooperation with the Federal Government, the federal provinces, the City of Vienna and the Austrian National Bank under the patronage of the President of the National Council. In addition, the Federation of Austrian Industry organized a fundraising dinner in September 2018 at which donors from the private sector made an important contribution to the realization of the project.

The architects Wehofer ZT GmbH are responsible for the planning and realization of the memorial; the Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft m. b. H. was commissioned to carry out the construction work for the project. The National Fund of the Republic of Austria was entrusted with managing the finances, including public subsidies, donations and expenditure.

The memorial was erected in the Ostarrichi Park in front of the Austrian National Bank. The concept for the new memorial’s design is oval in shape and consists of several stone walls engraved with the ca. 65,000 names of the Austrian Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust.

On 9 November 2018, a symbolic ceremony took place in the Ostarrichi Park in the presence of Kurt Y. Tutter. The importance of this moment was underscored by the attendance of representatives from the public arena, including the President of the National Council, the Federal Chancellor and the Vienna City Councilor for Culture.

The official coordination of the terms of the contracts between the project participants regarding legal and technical aspects was completed in late 2019. The authorities, the district and the neighbors were all included in the planning process and the necessary steps determined by mutual agreement. The Association and the bodies involved are very satisfied with the Ostarrichi Park as a location.

In 2019, parallel to the contract coordination, the submission planning was finalized, work was carried out on the tenders and specialist planning was carried out on the site (statics, surveyor and geotechnics). In December 2019, the tendering process for the stonemasonry and engraving work began, which was awarded to the company Breitwieser at the beginning of 2020. In May 2020, the tender for the master builder works took place, which were awarded to the company Mörtinger and Co. in June 2020.

Construction work began in the summer of 2020. The COVID 19 pandemic caused isolated delays in the course of the project, but these were compensated for in the course of construction. The engraving of the stone walls could be started at the beginning of 2021. On 25 March 2021, the first of around 160 stone walls engraved with names was moved on site.

The completion of the memorial took place in October 2021, the opening is on 9 November 2021.

Due to the historical importance of this memorial the City of Vienna and the National Fund will assume joint responsibility for the upkeep and ongoing maintenance of the Shoah Wall of Names Memorial.

Links

• Factsheet Shoah Wall of Names Memorial (November 2021, PDF)
• Press Release by the Federal Chancellery, March 25, 2021 (in German)
• Press Release by the Federal Chancellery, June 22, 2020 (in English)
• Appeal by the DÖW for the verification of the names for the Shoah Wall of Names Memorial, July 2, 2020