Dipl.-Ing. Architekt
PHOENIX See: Memorial for former forced laborers
Memorial and information center
75 years after the end of the Second World War, an important place of remembrance is being created in Dortmund: on the cultural island on the western shore of PHOENIX Lake, a memorial will commemorate the history of forced laborers under the Nazi regime in Dortmund. The memorial and information site that has now been realized is based on a concept by former architecture student Pia-Laureen Emde from 2015. SHA procurator Marc Horstmeier was the lecturer at the time and was responsible for its realization on behalf of the City of Dortmund. The sculpture has now been erected on site.
In cooperation with the Steinwache Memorial, students from the Department of Architecture developed concepts for a memorial during the 2013 summer semester at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts as part of the “Constructing 3” course supervised by Marc Horstmeier. The aim was to create a sculptural spatial installation with utility value that goes beyond the classic memorial plaque and responds sensitively and appropriately to both the history and the present location and context. The search was on for an expressive place mark that would also serve as an information carrier.
Following a public exhibition of all the designs in the Steinwache and their presentation to the municipal committees, the design for a steel sculpture over four meters high by Pia-Laureen Emde was selected for realization with the approval of the City of Dortmund’s Design Advisory Board.
The expressive walk-in construction consists of a horizontal layering of solid steel sheets and steel boxes, some of which act as luminaires both inside and out. The interplay of light and shadow – both by day and by night – and the contrast between ruggedness and filigree are key features of this place of remembrance. Inside, the light boxes provide information and images on the history of forced labor in Dortmund. By entering the sculpture, the surroundings fade out and the confrontation with the theme becomes a conscious decision.
More than 13 million foreign forced laborers were exploited in the German Reich during the Second World War. They were used in armaments factories as well as on
construction sites, in agriculture, in the trades or in private households. In the industrial city of Dortmund alone, there were up to 80,000 men and women. Almost a quarter of these workers had to work for the Dortmund Hörder Hüttenverein (DHHV) alone, whose Phönix plant was located on the site of the lake of the same name today. In addition, a reception camp for forced laborers of the Secret State Police (Gestapo) was located here at the former Emschertor/Hermannstraße on the factory premises during the Second World War.
Originally, the memorial was to be built on the southern shore of the lake – in the area of the former camp entrance. However, the location had to be moved several times, which is why the implementation was further delayed. In the end, a location was found on the Kulturinsel in PHOENIX See that met with consensus, where the memorial forms a clearly visible ensemble with the Thomasbirne that is steeped in history.
Photos: City archive
Curious?We would be happy to tell you more.