Construction has begun on a Holocaust memorial in Vienna for the 65,000 Austrian Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II.
Called “The Memorial to the Jewish Children, Women and Men of Austria who were Murdered in the Shoah,” the structure will be made of large slabs and include the names of the 64,000 known Jewish victims and the 1,000 whose names have been lost.
According to the memorial’s website, “Descendants of those who were murdered should, without being disturbed, be able to search for the names of their relatives, to touch the letters with their hand, to say a prayer, to light a memorial candle. For all Austrians, the memorial should offer a quiet place, in which they can remember the fate of their Jewish fellow citizens and honor their lives, today and in future generations.”
The “Association for Building a Wall of Names Memorial,” which spearheaded the project, says that the location of the memorial—Ostarrichi Park—was selected for its easy access to visitors and its quiet environment, “as befits a place of reverence.”
The cost of the memorial is estimated at € 5.3 million (about $6 million). It is being funded in part by the Austrian government, local authorities and through donations from the Austrian business community. It is slated for completion by next spring.
