Honored Recipients at Büttgen Schools Receive 'Remembrance' Award
A Stolperstein honours a Jewish Doctor in Kaarst
A small brass plaque, known as a Stolperstein, was recently laid in Kaarst, Germany, in memory of Dr. Winfried Selbiger, a Jewish physician who lived in the town before falling victim to Nazi persecution.
Background and Significance
Dr. Selbiger was a local physician who, like many Jews during the Nazi era, was persecuted due to his heritage and professional status. The Stolperstein laid in his memory represents a personal effort to remember him, bringing awareness to local citizens about the individuals from their community who suffered under National Socialism. This commemoration is part of a broader movement across Germany and Europe to use Stolpersteine as grassroots memorials that restore identity and history to Holocaust victims on a human scale.
Symbolically, having the Stolperstein in Kaarst allows residents and visitors to confront the past and honours Dr. Selbiger’s life and contributions before his deportation and murder.
Key Individuals Involved
The Stolperstein project was initiated by teacher Nadine Graber, who discovered Dr. Selbiger. Local historians and members of the Kaarst community typically initiate and support such projects by researching the victims, securing permissions, and organising events. The Stolperstein artist, Gunter Demnig, physically creates and installs the stones. His work is central to every Stolperstein laid worldwide.
Family or descendants of Dr. Selbiger (if involved) sometimes participate in the commemorative events or help provide biographical information. Municipal officials and school groups often collaborate by giving official approval, funding, and educational participation to embed the memory of Dr. Selbiger into local history.
The Ceremony
The Stolperstein was placed in front of Dr. Selbiger's former residence at the town hall square in Büttgen. During the ceremony, Mayor Ursula Baum emphasized, "With the awarding of this honorary gift, we in Kaarst are setting a sign for remembrance and are clearly stating: Never again!"
Carl-Wilhelm Bienefeld, a teacher at the comprehensive school where the document for the new building was accepted, expressed gratitude for the desire to lay a Stolperstein for Dr. Selbiger on the town hall square, which originated from the project course. He echoed this sentiment: "Never again is today."
According to Bienefeld, Reinhold Mohr's work demonstrated that the Nazi's hostile actions brought suffering and persecution to Büttgen, the place of the school. Bienefeld also acknowledged Mohr's research and work on the life of Dr. Winfried Selbiger in his speech.
The city of Kaarst, through Mayor Ursula Baum and her deputy Nina Lennhof, presented pins and expressed thanks to the students and Reinhold Mohr for their contributions to the project. Upon his release from custody, Dr. Selbiger decided to emigrate to save his personal freedom. The city council unanimously decided on September 14 to honor a project. The project was also supported by Kaarst city archivist Sven Woelke, historian Reinhold Mohr, and former mayor Dr. Ulrike Nienhaus.
The project course aimed to process the consequences of anti-Semitism over centuries, as stated by Bienefeld. The first Stolperstein in Kaarst was laid on October 20, 2022, by artist Gunter Demnig, along with students. The Stolperstein was laid in front of Dr. Selbiger's former residence at the town hall square.
Other education-and-self-development opportunities were provided by the Stolperstein project, bringing awareness and history to future generations. The teacher in charge of the project course, Carl-Wilhelm Bienefeld, used the commemoration as a learning opportunity to process the consequences of anti-Semitism, promoting education-and-self-development in the community.
