Anyone who takes a closer look at Feldbach's history and the events of the war will come across March 25, 1945. On that day, there was an air raid in the area of the Feldbach train station. A train in which Hungarian-Jewish forced laborers were being transported was hit.
The survivors were recaptured by the SS. Subsequently, the forced laborers were forced to dig a grave at the so-called Russian cemetery. In it were buried not only the existing corpses, but also the rest of the troops, who were executed on the spot after their work was done.
Setting a sign
In the area of the railroad station, a monument was unveiled to commemorate the aforementioned day of horror. "Here and now a sign is set, for which it is not too late," said Feldbach's municipal director Michael Mehsner about the project financed by the municipality.
"They were people like us - they had families, a job, they were treated as if they were nothing," emphasized Antonia Nitsch, chairwoman of the Southeast Styrian Association for Local History at the unveiling of the monument. It was she and the association who gave the impetus for the erection of the monument and approached the municipality of Feldbach. The basis for the realization was among other things material of the regional historians Rudolf Grasmug and Wolfram Dornik. Heimo Math and Andreas Stern were responsible for the design of the monument made of basalt stone and the floral framing.
Call for personal responsibility
Elie Rosen, president of the Jewish community of Graz, gave thought to the fact that commemoration alone is not enough, as indifference could creep in over time in this regard. "We all bear responsibility for the path this country will take," was Rosen's clear appeal.
Feldbach's mayor Josef Ober also spoke of the need for "alert citizens." He criticized the attitude of blaming others and not taking personal responsibility. "Feldbach is striving to do justice to the future," emphasized Ober, who propagates "togetherness in diversity" in his municipality.