Peršmanhof: Remembrance, responsibility and dialogue

The Peršmanhof in Bad Eisenkappel is an important place of remembrance of the crimes perpetrated by thee Nazi regime, in particular of the massacre of eleven members of a Carinthian-Slovene family who were brutally murdered there in April 1945.

On 25 April 1945, members of an SS police unit shot and killed eleven people, among them seven children, at the Peršmanhof. The farm served as a refuge for partisans in the resistance. This year marks the eightieth anniversary of this crime.

Today, the Peršmanhof is a museum and memorial site that regularly attracts large numbers of visitors, especially school classes and young people. It stands as a symbol of remembrance of the resistance against the Nazi regime, of the victims, and of awareness of historical responsibility and peaceful coexistence in a democratic society.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Fund and Second President of the National Council, Peter Haubner, therefore welcomes the initiative to engage in dialogue with all parties involved following reports of incidents at Peršmanhof: “An open, constructive exchange forms the basis for living up to our shared responsibility for places of remembrance.”

Haubner goes on to stress: “The Peršmanhof memorial is a place of dignity and commemoration in remembrance of a terrible massacre. Memorial sites like this deserve respect – both in our attitude towards them and our actions. It is therefore essential that there is a thorough investigation into the what happened.”

Especially in this commemorative year – 80 years after the end of Nazi tyranny – it is particularly important to treat places of remembrance commemorating those persecuted by the Nazi regime with care, historical awareness and respect – as an expression of active responsibility in a democratic society.