Today was a special occasion, as we met with mayor Mr. Jan Schönfeld, Mr. Janos Seibel, the tenant of the “Rosengarten” resturant and Mr. Martin Thoms, owner of the “Ausbauspinne” company at the “Rosengarten”, a very historic place.
As part of our work and in cooperation with the city and the tenant of the Rose Garden, our association “Mahn- und Gedenkstätte Walpersberg”, which has been based in Kahla since 2003, installed an information carrier in memory of a piece of Kahla’s history, which will be followed by others at former camps.
The historical background refers to April 11, 1944, on which day the first 400 forced laborers arrived in Kahla for the construction project “REIMAHG”. They all came from Italy. Their camp, the first of 40 subsequent ones, was located in the hall of the restaurant “Rosengarten”, the former Reichsarbeitslager camp. The hall, which was equipped with beds, also included an infirmary.
The plaque at the Rose Garden is particularly important in its symbolism right now, as the city will welcome an Italian delegation of students from Castelnovo ne’ Monti (Reggio Emilia region) to Kahla. For many years, survivors and their families have been coming to Kahla to participate in the annual commemorations for the victims of the “REIMAHG”.
Since 2003, our association has enjoyed a close friendship with this region. Now the official signing of a city partnership between the two cities will take place this weekend.
