Schwalmstadt: Consul General Radovanović vists the "Ziegenhein” memorial museum of the former Nazi labour camp

14. Jul 2022.
Consul General of the Republic of Serbia in Frankfurt Branko Radovanović, and Head of the Parish of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Frankfurt Archpriest-Stavrofor Simon Turkić paid a visit to the "Ziegenhein" memorial museum of the former Nazi labour camp located near the city of Schwalmstadt in the German province of Hesse, where altogether 3,139 Serbs were imprisoned during the Second World War.

On that occasion, they spoke with Museum Director Karin Brandes. After visit to the exhibition and digital archive, they also paid a visit to the military cemetery where untold number of Serbian prisoners of war from the camp complex are buried.

Director Brandes pointed out that the General Consulate in Frankfurt and Church Municipality of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Frankfurt agreed to erect a memorial at the place where the Serbs are buried. The Serbian community in Hesse intends to commemorate the suffering of Serbs in labour camps in this area on Victory Over Fascism Day on 9 May 2023 by laying wreaths at the new memorial.

After having paid a visit to this execution ground, the delegation also toured the Museum of Labour Camps in Stadttalendorf, where Museum Director Dr Jergo Probst stated that it was necessary to enable the exchange of archival material between the military and historical archives of the Republic of Serbia and the said institution so as to collect all available data on the fate of Serbs who were imprisoned in labour camps across the province of Hesse.