Students shape memorial in the former police headquarters in Kassel!

Students shape memorial in the former police headquarters in Kassel!

something is happening in Kassel: architectural students from the University of Kassel have teamed up to develop creative concepts for the former police headquarters at the Königstor. The listed property, which dates from the Wilhelmine period, is soon to be converted into a mixture of living and commemoration. As the HNA reports, these designs have been created in cooperation with the Studierendenwerk and representatives of the creative industries. The concepts are characterized by a high degree of innovation.

With a clear focus on memorial culture, the students present two promising designs. The first, "Refocus", by Max Schulz-Helbach and Edwin Koch, plans to open the listed facade on an impressive 6.50 meter width and a tour of a visitor through a creative store to the inner courtyard. Particularly noteworthy is the learning and memorial location, which leads through the cells through the cells through a “path of the prisoners”. In order to take into account the needs of students, 100 apartments in different forms of living are also to be created.

a space of commemoration

The second draft, "Monument", by Beyza Talia Gülyesil, Celina Röhl and Nina Schmerer, provides for 70 percent of the building to be used on the upper floors. Earth and basement and the former prison wing would be accessible to visitors, and a gastronomy would combine residential and commemorative areas. A terrace outdoors and a public event room in the covered courtyard should contribute to the revitalization of the area. The designs can be viewed in the Orbit exhibition area, Königstor 33 until June 28th, and the doors are open on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. On June 26th there will also be an exciting discussion event on historical places and the culture of remembrance, which is led by historian Prof. Hubertus Büschel.

The topic is particularly explosive by the demands of leading representatives of the Kassel city society according to a venue for the secret state police (Gestapo) in the former police headquarters. The prison wing, which was used by the police until 1999, will be drawn empty at the end of next year, which underlines the urgency for a memorial again. Unlike in cities such as Cologne, Stuttgart or Halle, which have set up memorial sites in comparable places in the past, there has been no such thing in Kassel. An open letter, signed by historians, scientists from the university and cultural institutions, has turned to Minister of Culture Angela Dorn and Minister of Finance Michael Boddenberg. These initiatives show how important to deal with the past for the city.

remember is necessary

As the Federal Center for Political Education emphasizes, the memory of the Nazi regime remains a major challenge. The international day of commemoration for the victims of the Holocaust, which is celebrated on January 27, and other initiatives show that memorial sites are important places of experience and knowledge. The importance of the culture of remembrance is not only seen as a teaching from history, but also as an act of education about human rights and as a necessary warning of group -related misanthropy.

The current developments in Kassel therefore not only stand for a remarkable urban planning project, but also for the urgent need to make the work of memory up to date. A successful mix of living and commemoration could help promote both the quality of life and the cultural memory in Kassel. There is something - and the city could soon take an important step in the right direction.