An answer.
An intervention against forgetting.
A place of remembrance, of remembrance,
of visibility.
A reminder of continuities from the past.
A commemoration in the present –
in reference to a different future
The app
re:member the future is an interactive intervention in the public space of the city of Chemnitz because the city does not yet have an official memorial to those murdered by the NSU.
It serves to commemorate the murdered, injured and survivors of the NSU terror.
It is a necessary work against the already occurring forgetting and reminds of the extinguished lives, but also of the resistance and demands of the survivors to a racist society.
When you are at the Doku-Zentrum:
Start the app, select a language and position yourself in front of the QR code on the glass façade of the Doku-Zentrum.
After the warnings, the app will ask you to scan the QR code – point the camera of your device at the QR code. Then you should be ready to go.
About the project
re:member the future is dedicated to the memory of the victims and those affected by the right-wing terror of the so-called National Socialist Underground (NSU) and the multi-layered reappraisal of the NSU complex in Chemnitz.
The aim of the project is to make the perspectives of those affected permanently visible, to create spaces of remembrance and to set an example for a just future based on solidarity.
The project understands remembrance and commemoration as a political stance and practice. They address existing power relations, open up scope for action and can take on a variety of forms of expression.
It is not just about looking back, but about a critical examination of the social conditions that have enabled and supported right-wing terror.
A will to change is inherent in remembrance – a rebellion against the status quo.
The starting point of the project was the development of a concept for a memorial site in Chemnitz. This concept analyzes the possibilities of victim-oriented remembrance and formulates concrete options for action in order to initiate a collective process of debate and remembrance in the city.
In cooperation with Causa Creations a digital place of remembrance was developed on this basis.
This space is complemented by political education formats, artistic interventions and public events. The result is a multi-layered space of remembrance that invites active participation and promotes civic debate.
Concept for a memorial and place of remembrance in Chemnitz
The conceptual basis of the re:member the future project was developed under the direction of Arlo Jung and Hannah Zimmermann. The publication is entitled: “Conceptualization of a memorial and place of remembrance for those affected by the NSU complex in Chemnitz”.
Abridged version, published in: transcript – NSU complex. The knowledge of those affected (PDF)
You can find the complete concept here.
The visualizations of a possible place of remembrance were created by lilazwei GmbH.
The content of the concept is based on expert interviews with relatives, survivors and companions in solidarity, including: Mandy Boulgarides, Gamze Kubaşık, Mitat Özdemir, Abdulla Özkan, Semiya Şimşek, Ayşen Taşköprü, Gavriil Voulgaridis.
In addition, discussions were held with remembrance policy initiatives, urban policy representatives and civil society actors, and extensive literature and source research was carried out. The interviews were conducted by Ali Şirin, Zeran Osman and Arlo Jung.
The most important questions and answers from the concept at a glance:
Why do we need a place of remembrance in Chemnitz?
Chemnitz plays a central role in the NSU complex as the place where the murders and attacks were planned and carried out, as a place where right-wing extremist (support) groups were radicalized and formed networks, and as a place where eight robberies were carried out that provided the NSU with financial support.
The continuities of right-wing extremist violence in Chemnitz recently became massively visible during the riots in the summer of 2018, the unmasking of the right-wing terrorist organization Revolution Chemnitz and the unsolved series of attacks on Jewish and migrant restaurants in Chemnitz. Due to the continuity of right-wing structures and racist acts of violence, there is also a need for a visible confrontation with the NSU complex in Chemnitz that accepts the events as part of the city’s history.
A place of remembrance firmly anchored in the city can maintain and perpetuate the memory of the inhuman acts. It testifies to the city’s proactive approach to history and its continuities and can contribute to shaping and strengthening a committed civil society.
What content should the place of remembrance address?
From the discussions and analyses, three central levels of content can be derived that characterize the concept:
1. remembrance, mourning and empathy
The commemoration is aimed at the people murdered by the NSU:
- Enver Şimşek
- Abdurrahim Özüdoğru
- Süleyman Taşköprü
- Habil Kılıç
- Mehmet Turgut
- İsmail Yaşar
- Theodoros Boulgarides
- Mehmet Kubaşık
- Halit Yozgat
- Michèle Kiesewetter
Space will also be given to the survivors of the attacks, those affected by the robberies and their struggles.
It is emphasized that those affected are not a homogeneous group, but individuals with different perspectives, experiences and narratives.
The concept rejects unifying or stigmatizing victim narratives and instead develops forms that make complexity, heterogeneity and dignity visible.
2. naming structures, negotiating complexities, picking up on continuities
The memories and stories of those affected point to the structural conditions of the NSU complex:
- Racially motivated acts
- Racist investigations by security authorities
- Stigmatizing media coverage
- Lack of social solidarity and ignorance
The commemorative format is intended to make this structural context visible and thus counteract dethematization within the public discourse. It is intended to inform, educate and name social and local responsibility.
The focus is on the experience of those affected.
3. resistance, change and solidarity
Knowledge of the NSU complex is the result of decades of struggles by those affected and their supporters for clarification, justice and consequences.
Many of them pointed out the racist background to the crimes early on, but were ignored for a long time.
The commemorative format is intended to honor and focus on their resilience, their demands, their making themselves visible and taking up space.
Remembrance should not only be retrospective, but also provide impulses for action for the present and the future: for solidarity with one another, for a growing awareness and for concrete social change.
What areas should the place of remembrance include?
The concept of the place of remembrance proposes three levels of implementation: the materialized place (A), which makes a mark in the urban space as an artistic aesthetic expression. This is to be supplemented by a digital space (B), which expands the materialized place with a virtual reality.
In order to consolidate the discussion of content, there will be a third level of analog and digital educational and mediation offerings (C).
What social impact can an interactive learning and memorial site have?
Places of remembrance and commemoration have an important political significance. Through it, the victims and those affected can become visible and recognizable. In remembrance and mourning, spaces of empathy are created and learning from history is consolidated. The place of remembrance and commemoration in Chemnitz is thus intended to invite discussion and be the starting point for ongoing processes of reappraisal and critical reflection on the causes and continuities of right-wing violence.
Educational work that is critical of racism and focuses on human rights can highlight the potential dangers of right-wing extremist and anti-pluralist attitudes and promote critical thinking and political participation. A physical location can facilitate encounters, exchange and networking and invite people to linger. The place of remembrance can therefore also be a place that shows a future of solidarity and emancipation and opens up new perspectives.
How can the development process be made transparent and participatory?
Developing a participatory commemorative practice means considering those affected, survivors and relatives as designers of the commemoration and involving them as experts in the creation process. If their expertise, experiences and stories are to mark the starting point of the place of remembrance, it is necessary to align the process with their wishes and needs.
This requires opportunities for participation and decision-making power for those affected during the selection process and in the artistic creation process. In order to ensure long-term and sustainable educational and critical discussion processes, Chemnitz’s urban society should also be involved in the competition process.
The participatory creation and design of the memorial site therefore requires a willingness for a dialogical and gradual process between the city administration, relatives, survivors, artists and urban society.
What are the conditions for a location?
The following criteria were developed for site selection:
- Protection and care
- Centrality of the location
- Good infrastructural connections and accessibility
- Space to linger
