Visitors’ Programme for Former Jewish Leipzigers and their Descendants
Background
At the end of the 1980s initial contacts were made between former Leipzigers in Israel and the Jewish community in Leipzig. In the wake of the Peaceful Revolution and with the demise of the GDR these connections continued to deepen, enhanced through new contacts with the USA, Britain and other countries throughout the world. Representatives from the Association of Former Leipzigers in Israel, founded in 1953, as well as numerous individuals expressed their wish to the city authorities to be able to visit the city of their birth once again.
Fully conscious of its historical responsibility the City's Council of elders decided in 1991 to initiate a visitors' programme for former Leipzig citizens of the Jewish faith.The visitors were given the opportunity to see their native city again after six decades and to retrace the footsteps of their past. As City of Leipzig, it was clear to us that this could be no more than a symbolic gesture. Neither an adequate compensation for the suffering endured let alone any kind of reparation were possible.
During the 1990s the City of Leipzig was approached by several hundreds of former Leipzigers from all over the world requesting an invitation to their erstwhile home city. Mindful of the former Leipzigers' advanced age, from 1992 onwards we invited groups of visitors on a regular basis once or twice a year. Up to and including 2007 around 850 former Leipzigers and those escorting them had already taken part in the Visitors' Programme.
For reasons of age fewer and fewer former Leipzigers from 2000 onwards were able to take up the city's invitation, and the number of participants in the Visitors' Programme dropped significantly. Conversely, interest in the Programme from family members of the second and third generations showed a steady increase. Grappling with the stories told by their parents or grandparents, searching for their own family roots and coming to terms with their personal, often tragic, family histories – for the descendants of our former Leipzig citizens these are matters close to their hearts. Thus in 2009 Leipzig City Council decided to open up the Programme to the children and grandchildren of former Leipzigers. It was of great importance for the city to offer the second and third generations an opportunity to remain in contact with Leipzig and for them to discover the place with which so many family memories – happy or horrific – were associated.
Programme Content
Today Leipzig annually invites guests to get to know the city during its one-week Visitors’ Programme for Former Jewish Leipzigers and their Descendants. They are welcomed by the Mayor of Leipzig during a reception held in the Town Hall and under the auspices of the Office for International Affairs, our visitors explore the city and gain an insight into Jewish life in Leipzig, past and present. They visit the synagogue and meet Jewish and non-Jewish residents through a variety of events. The accompanying programme also includes a city tour, visits to the old and new Jewish cemeteries and participation in various cultural events. School talks are also a fixed item on the Visitors' Programme itinerary. Every other year the visit is integrated into the Jewish Week, simultaneously held in Leipzig.
Objects of the Day 2022
During the Visitors‘ Programme 2021, every day a special Jewish object and the institution hosting this object was presented. In 2022, we again present an Object of the Day.
Object of the Day I
Release July 6th at 10 am German time
Presented is an object from the Jewish Encounter Centre Ariowitsch-Haus.
Object of the Day II
Release July 7th at 10 am German time
Presented is an object from the collection of the Mendelssohn-Haus in Leipzig.
Object of the Day III
Release July 8th at 10 am German time
Presented is an object from from the special collection of the Anne-Frank-Shoah library, which is part of the German National library.
Object of the Day IV
Release July 9th at 10 am German time
Presented is an object from the collection of the Leipzig Museum of fine Arts.
Object of the Day V
Release July 10th at 10 am German time
Presented is an object from the collection of the Leipziger Gewandhaus.
Object of the Day VI
Release July 11th at 10 am German time
Presented is an object from Edition Peters Publishing House.
Object of the Day VII
Release July 12th at 10 am German time
Presented is an object from the collection of the Egyptian Museum in the Kroch-Hochhaus.
Object of the Day VIII
Release July 13th at 10 am German time
Presented is an object from the collection of the former Eitingon Hospital.
Virtual Visitors’ Programme for Former Jewish Leipzigers and their Descendants 2021
Due to Covid-19, the Visitors’ Programme for Former Jewish Leipzigers and their Descendants 2021 can just take place virtual. Below, you will find different videos and records of the events, being part of the virtual Vistors' Programme 2021.
In order to know what you can expect from the virtual Visitors' Programme, we prepared a little clip for you. The clip is a kind of appetiser and introduces what we have planed between June 27th and July 4th. It too shows a first Object of the Day, a photo from the Leipzig School Museum, giving some insights in Jewish school life in Leipzig.
Video Collection 2021
Sunday, June 27th 2021
Object of the Day I
Release June 27th at 10 am
Presented is a special document form the Leipzig City Archives.
Monday, June 28th 2021
Object of the Day II
Release June 28th at 10 am
Presented is an item from the Leipzig Nazi Forced Labour Memorial.
Interview with Shoah survivor Eddie Jaku from Leipzig
Eddie Jaku is a 101 year old Shoah survivor born in Leipzig, living in Australia now. An interview was conducted mid-June and will be released June 28th at 10 am.
When watching the video, you might be irritated that Mr. Jaku is not in the centre of the screen during the whole interview. This was due to the fact that the interview was conducted and recorded while doing a Microsoft Teams call. Unfortunately, Mr. Jaku slowly moved himself out of the focus during the talk. However, we did not want to interrupt him, while memorizing the Shoah. We are very sorry for any inconvenience.
Tuesday, June 29th 2021
Object of the Day III
Release June 29th at 10 am
Presented is an item from the collection of the Grassi Museum of Applied Arts.
Laying of new Stolpersteine (Stumbling Stones)
You can see a record from the laying of new Stolpersteine for the Suwalski family. The film introduces, the project in general and involved actors. It introduces the destiny of Alta and David Suwalski and shows what the laying means to the descendants. Alta and David Suwalski, both lived in Leipzig before fleeing to Belgium. Then they were deported and interned in Vichy France, from which they were deported to Auschwitz and murdered. Their son Salomon survived the Shoah and descendants of the Suwalski couple have been able to take part in the Visitors' Programme several times.
Presentation by Community Rabbi Zsolt Balla about Jewish life in Leipzig
You can see a record of a presentation by Community Rabbi Zsolt Balla about Jewish life in Leipzig in present and past.
Wednesday, June 30th 2021
Object of the Day IV
Release June 30th at 10 am
Presented is an object from Museum of City History Leipzig.
Book Presentation: Return to Leipzig - An Afternoon with the Fein Family
You can see a record of presentations by Louise Fein-Pike and Kathleen Rome who talk about their relation to Leipzig and who will read from their books.
Three siblings, three explorations of their Jewish background. Stephen with his recent academic publication Hitler’s Refugees and the French Response: 1933-1938, Lexington Books. Kathleen with her personal memoir tracing six generations of the Fein family and her own journeys to make sense of her life through theirs. Louise with her internationally published novel set in 1930s Leipzig, a story of impossible love between the daughter of a high-ranking Nazi who falls for a Jewish boy. Both sisters read from their books and take questions from the participants.
Lecture Edition Peters "Beyond the Score"
Discover the profoundly moving story of the Hinrichsen family and its iconic music publishing company, Edition Peters. This is a story of how the world's greatest composers and their music was shared with the world by a family that paid the ultimate price during the Holocaust. But is also a story of resilience, inspiration and survival.
Presented by Linda Hawken, Managing Director Edition Peters Europe, the talk will include wonderful audio, and video music excerpts and brought to you live from the Grieg Room in Leipzig, the former dining room of the Hinrichsen family, at Talstrasse 10 – the iconic building designed by Otto Bruckwald for the family and its company. In this room countless musical soirees in the 19th and early 20th century took place and were attended by some of the world’s greatest composers, including Edvard Grieg and Gustav Mahler.
Thursday, July 1st 2021
Object of the Day V
Release July 1st at 10 am
Presented is an object from the Museum of Printing Arts Leipzig related to the long history of book printing in Leipzig.
Friday, July 2nd 2021
Object of the Day VI
Release July 2nd at 10 am
Presented is a special object from Leipzigs Synagogue.
Virtual Visit of Jewish Cultural and Encounter Centre Ariowitsch-Haus
You can see a record of a virtual tour to the Ariowitsch-Haus and discussion with Küf Kaufmann (Head of the Jewish Community Leipzig) and his staff.
Saturday, July 3rd 2021
Object of the Day VII
Release July 3rd at 10 am
Presented is an object from the special collection of the Leipzig University Library Albertina.
Sunday, July 4th 2021
Object of the Day VIII
Release July 4th at 10 am
Presented is an object from the Leipzig Sport Museum related to Bar Kochba and Jewish sport history in Leipzig.
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