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Mantelskulptur, Johannes Rühl, 2003
The bronze sculpture of a coat left behind commemorates the deportation of 450 Jewish men, women and children to the French temporary camp in Gurs in 1940.
From a distance, it looks real, but the bronze sculpture can only be recognized as such up close. The coat left behind is a reminder of the deportation of 450 Jewish men, women and children to the French Gurs temporary camp in 1940. The loading point was very close to the Wiwilli Bridge, on whose driveway the coat sculpture is draped. The idea for the memorial sculpture came from the deputy head of the cultural department, Johannes Rühl, and the municipal council unanimously approved his concept. Based on photos of a coat from the 1940s, sculptor Birgit Strauch created the bronze sculpture in 2003. The coat bears an engraved Star of David on the left side of the chest, although the Star of David was not introduced until 1941. The historical background is explained on a text panel next to the sculpture. "The memorial has a clear message and yet leaves room for reflection. The coat symbolizes what the deported people left behind, even in our minds," explains Johannes Rühl about his concept.
