Promoting a culture of remembrance in Odesa

Project description

Title: Culture of Remembrance in Odesa – Against Oblivion
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Ukraine
Lead executing agency: City Council of Odesa
Overall term: 2021 to 2022

Context

October 2021 marks 80 years since the Odesa massacre, in which German and Romanian troops brutally murdered tens of thousands of Jewish citizens. The massacre was preceded by a bomb that exploded at the headquarters of the occupying Romanian and German forces in Odesa. The occupying troops used this as a pretext for ‘retribution’ against the Jewish community. Between 22 and 24 October 1941, approximately 20,000 to 30,000 people, most of them Jews, were rounded up by German and Romanian troops, locked up and executed.

The location of the massacre is now a paved square at 47 Lustdorf Road, near Tolbukhin Square in Odesa. Bone remains of the victims have been found in the ground under the square. Today, the few indications that the massacre took place are hardly visible to the general public. There is no suitable place for relatives and surviving dependants to go to remember what happened. There is also a lack of opportunities to obtain information about the past and relate the events to subsequent generations.

Objective

The conditions for an appropriate culture of remembrance for the victims of National Socialism in Odesa have improved.

Approach

The project is planning a dignified memorial site for the victims of the massacre and is working on its implementation.

In addition, a memorial event is being organised in Odesa to mark the 80th anniversary of the massacre.

The project is also providing municipal employees from construction and culture departments with the necessary qualifications to plan participatory, citizen-oriented projects relating to a culture of remembrance.

Last updated: October 2021