A monument as a social seismograph for democracy

Justin Sonder, an honorary citizen of Chemnitz, survived Auschwitz and was one of the few German Jews to return to his hometown. Until his death in 2020, he visited countless school classrooms to talk about his memories of the Nazi era as a contemporary witness. The International Auschwitz Committee is now erecting a memorial to him in Chemnitz. Opposite Rosa Luxemburg Primary School, the life-size bronze figure sits on a bench, his gaze directed towards those who sit down next to him. The follow-up project A MEMORIAL AS A SOCIAL SEISMOGRAPH FOR DEMOCRACY will combine remembrance work with hands-on action and create a lively space for reflection and engagement. Dialogue formats such as work shops and Open Monument Days will invite locals to share ideas with European project partners. In Chemnitz, a place where history can be experienced is being created along the lines of Justin Sonder’s life.