Comprehensive Account of More Than Just the Slain
Refreshingly Reimagined:
A digital tribute sheds light on the tragic reality: This invaluable online collection underscores the horrific reality of the loss of European Jews: People snatched from their daily lives, banished from our thriving cities, coerced into labor, and exterminated within a mere few years. Each and every one of them had families, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. They deserve to be remembered, not forgotten. That's the purpose of this commemorative digital book, which is more than a mere list of names. It underscores the individual narratives of these individuals, a fact that lingers poignantly today," explains Keller.
"During the mid-1990s, data about the deceased and documents concerning their persecution were accumulated and compiled into digital databases. Background information was also created to provide context to the persecution of Jews in Düsseldorf," adds Hildegard Jakobs, the project's head, who is also the deputy director of the Memorial and Remembrance Site. "A website isn't like a printed book — it's an evolving entity. We will constantly maintain and enhance this site over time, so that as many people as possible can be honored with a brief biography."
In Jewish tradition, it is a significant commandment to keep the names of the deceased alive, not through oblivion, but through remembrance and continual invocation – a practice intended to preserve the individual memories of these people.
In Jewish tradition, it is a significant commandment to keep the names of the deceased alive, not through oblivion, but through remembrance and continual invocation – a practice intended to preserve the individual memories of these people. This online memorial book transcends this commandment, translating names into flesh-and-blood stories, forging a lasting testament to the lives lost during Nazi persecution. This digital repository remains a work in progress, growing and evolving, as new details, testimonies, archival material, and family contributions surface. As a living archive, it encapsulates the ongoing endeavors of historians, researchers, and community members, committed to preserving the memories of those who suffered under the oppressive grasp of Nazism.
- This online memorial book, a living archive, transcends Jewish tradition by not just keeping the names of the deceased alive but by presenting their individual stories, making it a vibrant testament to the lives lost during the Nazi persecution.
- As a cultural traveler, exploring this digital repository offers a poignant reminder of the lives affected by the horrific tragedies of the past, each story serving as a testament to the ongoing efforts to preserve the memories of those who suffered under the oppressive grasp of Nazism.
