„In memory of a racist“ | What do we want to remember? What do we want to forget?

In times of historical revisionism, it is these fundamental questions that we must address as a society. Do we want to continue to give racism and fascism space in our cities through large monuments, do we want to hide them or should we at least demand that these monuments be transformed into places of encounter, resistance, art and culture and togetherness?

In order to find answers to these questions, we have invited two people who have been dealing with war memorials for years: Klaus-Peter Klauner (Brühl) and Wolfram Kastner (Munich). If you are also interested in these questions, please come to Q1 in Bochum on 7 July 2022 at 6.30 pm (start is 7.00 pm). We look forward to a lively discussion!

„Dismantle the war memorials! Create civilian peace and reconciliation monuments from this very material with those affected on all sides – commemorate the victims and at the same time the people who have fought for freedom, justice and humanity, across all borders and times.“
Klaus-Peter Klauner

„I was brought up to obey like everyone else in this country. But I can’t look away.“
⏤ Wolfram Kastner

Klaus-Peter Klauner (journalist, Cologne), born in 1952 in northern Germany, studied communications engineering in Bingen (Rhine) and worked in film and video technology at WDR from 1979. In 1993, together with Monika Hauser, he was involved in the founding of the women’s rights organisation medica mondiale, and their life together already revolved around topics such as war, sexualised violence and patriarchal structures. In 2000, Klauner began studying again, this time in the field of social pedagogy. After taking early retirement in 2014, he once again focussed on the topics of war and violence, this time initially in his own family history. On this basis, he created the website kriegerdenkmal.org, where Klauner continues to deal extensively with war memorials and advocates a change in the German culture of remembrance.

Wolfram Kastner (artist, Munich), born in Munich in 1947, studied German language and literature, psychology, art history and sociology at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. Working as a freelance artist from 1979, he caused a sensation with his public action art and interventions. This reached a high point in 1994 with the action to commemorate the book burnings of 1933. After working as a lecturer at various universities, Kastner dealt intensively with the history of National Socialism. In 2011, he received the Hans Frankenthal Prize from the International Auschwitz Committee for his work against the suppression of Nazi crimes from the public consciousness. Kastner caused a further stir with his actions in 2015 and 2016, when he artistically altered the memorial to Wehrmacht General Jodl.