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| Krems Jewish Cemetery |
Cemeteries
are inspiring places, full of history and culture, but there’s one near Krems, Austria that also offers
knowledge, in the form of books.
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| The Open Public Library |
The
Jüdischer Friedhof Krems - the Krems
Jewish Cemetery - was founded in 1853 among
the local vineyards. During WWII, the cemetery came close to being obliterated by the
Nazis. Today, it has been restored and is home to The Open Public
Library - a library consisting of three bookshelves, where books may be borrowed
or added to for others to read.
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| Books Ready for Reading |
The
idea of a library as a memorial came from artists Michael Cleg and Martin Guttmann
in 2004. They wanted a way to memorialize over 100 local Jews who were killed
or exiled from Krems during the war.
The men said that the library was a way for the community to remember those
who were lost and also a way to make the cemetery more inviting to the public.
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| Metal Ribbon |
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| Ribbon and Bookcases |
In
1995, the cemetery was finally restored. Near the three bookshelves stands a
140-foot metal ribbon on which 129 names are inscribed, these are the Jews that were killed or exiled from Krems.
Knowledge: what a fitting tribute to those who were persecuted by the Third Reich.
~ Joy
