Dark history: City tour shows Burgkunstadt's Nazi past

Dark history: City tour shows Burgkunstadt's Nazi past

A young man, Max Konrad, recently led a group of about 30 citizens through Burgkunstadt to provide information about the dark times of the Nazi dictatorship. Konrad, one of four volunteer city guides, offered the participants a historical tour that illuminated the past of the city and its residents at six to seven stations. The impressive walk provided a lot of information and stories about the drastic events that shaped the city.

The history of Burgkunstadt showed a city in upheaval after the First World War and the consequences of the economic crisis in the Weimar Republic. In 1928 Bahnhofstrasse was paved and in 1930 the first garbage collection system was introduced. The political landscape changed drastically when Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor on January 30, 1933. This led to the dismissal of Mayor Hans Agath and the appointment of Dr. Leo Feuersinger and ten NSDAP city councilors.

Jewish life in Burgkunstadt

Jewish life plays a central role in the city's history. In 1851 a Jewish school was founded at Feuerweg 19, which operated until November 1938. The fate of the Jewish citizens ended tragically when Ignaz Steinbock was deported and murdered on February 24, 1942. Of the 53 Jewish citizens who still lived in Burgkunstadt in 1933, only 32 were still registered in 1939, and by 1942 the number had fallen to 13. Many of them were threatened by a mob that devastated the city during the pogrom night of 1938.

The city bought the synagogue and Jewish cemetery on November 10, 1938 for 1,000 Reichsmarks rather than set them on fire. Nevertheless, the remaining Jewish families suffered terrible reprisals. The Banemann family, who emigrated in 1939, was also affected by these measures. City historian Rudi Fetzer recently spoke about the deportation of the last Jewish citizens from Burgkunstadt, which took place in 1942, in a lecture on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of these terrible events. Fetzer remembered growing up in the former Jewish quarter and reported an emotional visit from the son of a Jewish shoe manufacturer who wanted to visit the grave of his ancestors.

Economic conditions and their consequences

The economic situation in Burgkunstadt was heavily influenced by the Nazi dictatorship. Friedrich Baur founded Baur Versand in 1925, which built a new building in 1936 and took over the Iglauer shoe factory in 1938. The National Socialists restricted mail order sales, which led to a decline in the number of employees. A rich patron, the Püls shoe factory, produced 5,000 pairs of shoes per day at its best.

In the Second World War, 242 Burgkunstadt residents died, which corresponds to 10% of the population, and all Jews who were unable to emigrate were murdered. The unimaginable circumstances during the deportation of the Jewish citizens, who were taken by special train to Krasnystaw in Poland, were characterized by inhumane conditions and a 66-hour journey without toilets or drinking water. The deportation of ten Jews, including five-year-old Hans-Peter Steinbock, took place on April 24, 1942.

Overall, the tour, which lasts about two hours, illuminates the numerous facets of Burgkunstadt's history and was perceived by the citizens as an important souvenir. The events and lectures strengthen the memory of the events of the past, which are intended to be kept alive through the culture of remembrance.