Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
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Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
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Multidisciplinary teams from the fields of art, architecture and history are to submit proposals, the foreign ministry said on Friday. The government had earmarked CHF2.5 million ($3.1 million) for the creation of a publicly accessible memorial site in 2023.
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The Casinoterrasse was selected at the suggestion of Bern’s municipal council. The foreign ministry wrote that the picturesque and historic site is conveniently located, can be reached on foot and is also suitable for people with limited mobility.
The search is now on for a project that honours the victims of Nazism, but also encourages an in-depth examination of Switzerland’s history during the Nazi era and its significance for the present day.
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The design should be “contemporary and aesthetically effective”. And it should emphasise the central themes of the memorial site: the persecution suffered, the connections between the victims and Switzerland and the issue of historical responsibility.
The jury consists of six members representing the federal government, the City of Bern and the initiators. It is supplemented by nine independent members from the fields of art, architecture, history, education and museums. The president of the jury is art historian and curator Madeleine Schuppli.
The jury will select a contribution for realisation at the beginning of 2026. Realisation is planned for 2027/2028.
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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