"Cracks in the Stone" - An Interview with Lisa Kleinholz

“Cracks in the Stone” – An Interview with Lisa Kleinholz

August 8, 2019


Lisa Kleinholz is a research assistant at the Oberhausen Memorial Hall. © LUDWIGGALERIE

What does the Oberhausen Memorial Hall stand for?
The Oberhausen Memorial Hall is the central urban place of remembrance for the victims of National Socialism. It was opened in 1962 as the first West German memorial. It is complemented by the monument The Mourner by Willy Meller, which is located in front of the memorial hall. The permanent exhibition opened in 2010. It deals with the history of the city and forced labor in Oberhausen during the National Socialist era (1933–1945). The exhibition and the memorial hall serve to commemorate the victims of National Socialism and the horrors of that time, record the structures and seductive power of the regime and thus see themselves as an opportunity to prevent such a catastrophe from happening again.

How did the temporary exhibition and the title “Cracks in the Stone” come about?
The temporary exhibition “Cracks in the Stone”, which can be seen in the Memorial Hall from 18.06–15.12.2019, presents The Mourner, a central memorial to the victims of the Second World War. The Mourner
serves as an official memorial site for the city; for example, at
Remembrance Day. However, this tradition of remembrance has developed “cracks” over time
Critical voices note that the creator of the monument,
Willy Meller, was involved in National Socialism and also that
the work's understanding of sacrifice is inadequate. The temporary exhibition
goes in search of these “cracks” in Oberhausen’s memory –
with Willy Meller and the mourners in focus.

The Mourner in front of the memorial hall © LUDWIGGALERIE

Since when has the central monument been at this location?
The Mourner was inaugurated on September 2, 1962, together with the Oberhausen Memorial Hall, as part of the city's 100th anniversary.

Why did they choose The Mourner?
The so-called hall construction committee, which was responsible for organizing the creation of a central memorial for the victims of National Socialism, announced a competition for the memorial. 43 proposals were submitted and a jury, made up of the then mayor of Oberhausen, Luise Albertz, the city director Peterssen and various artists such as Ewald Mataré, awarded prizes to the designs. They did not award a first place. Second place went to a design for a crown of thorns by Julius Vietmann and Rudolf Skribbe. It is no longer possible to know exactly why this design was not realized. It is suspected that there were differences regarding the size and material of the memorial. In the end, the committee agreed on the design by Willy Meller, who came fourth. It was hoped that his artistic experience would ensure that the design would be implemented smoothly.

Who was Willy Meller?
Willy Meller (1887–1974), whose full name was Jakob Wilhelm Meller, was a Cologne artist whose life can be seen and understood against the backdrop of four different political regimes. During the German Empire, Meller trained as a sculptor in Cologne and Munich. He gained his first professional experience in the Weimar Republic and experienced his artistic heyday during the National Socialist era. After 1945, Meller was unable to build on these successes, but still received enough commissions to finance his living. He lived in Rodenkirchen-Weiß near Cologne until his death in 1974 and was married twice.

A visitor stands in front of the information board about Willy Meller's biography. © LUDWIGGALERIE

How does Meller position himself politically during the Nazi era?
Meller did not express his own position clearly either during or after the Nazi era. However, his actions speak for themselves. Meller joined the NSDAP in 1937. Supported by his childhood friend Clemens Klotz, the architect of the Reich leadership for the construction of the training buildings of the NSDAP and the DAF, Meller received numerous official commissions between 1933 and 1945. His most famous works from this period certainly include the so-called torchbearer, which he created for the Nazi Ordensburg Vogelsang, and his works for the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, such as the German Nike. Meller thus benefited artistically from the Nazi regime. This becomes all the clearer when you consider that he was appointed professor on April 20, 1939, Adolf Hitler's 50th birthday. In addition, Meller was on the so-called "God-gifted list." The 1041 artists on this list, drawn up in 1944, were considered so important to the regime that they were exempted from military service. After the war, he was classified by the Allies as a "fellow traveler" due to "clean bills of health" issued to him by friends and acquaintances. However, he complained several times about the poorer commission situation after 1945 and wrote in a letter that he was "sick of dealing with National Socialism." Willingness to come to terms with the regime and its crimes certainly looks different.

Was The Mourner intended for the Jewish victims or the victims of the Second World War?
Willy Mellers mourners is based on the Christian depiction of Mary mourning for her dead son Jesus, a so-called Pietà. She is therefore to be interpreted as a mother mourning for her son who died in the war. Here it was certainly Meller's intention to include the German war victims, especially the fallen German soldiers. Even if one generously interprets the depiction as a mother mourning for her child in general, the question arises whether this Christian depiction does not exclude the Jewish victims of National Socialism. The memorial should serve as a place of remembrance for the victims of National Socialism in general, the victims of "war, lack of freedom and expulsion", as the plaque in front of the mourners Whether Meller's account meets these criteria can at least be doubted from today's perspective.

How has the culture of remembrance developed in Oberhausen?
In 1962, the city of Oberhausen created the Memorial Hall, the first West German memorial to the victims of National Socialism, thus establishing a public commemoration very early on. After the end of the Second World War and up until the 1970s, however, the commemoration of the victims of National Socialism was always intended to commemorate the German victims of the World War - fallen soldiers together with six million murdered Jews. This commemoration was inextricably linked. This changed in the 1970s. A critical and differentiated debate developed about National Socialism and, above all, the Shoah. In the 1980s, the regime and its crimes became a central reference point in German politics and the culture of remembrance. In the 1990s, the commemoration of victims became more differentiated, so that memorials were now also erected for the murdered Sinti and Roma, the euthanasia victims and homosexuals.

Why this exhibition now?
As already mentioned, the confrontation with the crimes of National Socialism has become a central reference point in German politics and the culture of remembrance. This reference point must now face new challenges. The far-right spectrum is calling for a change in the politics of remembrance. According to leading right-wing politicians, politics and society should draw a line under the investigation of German crimes and in future only glorify German national history. Against this background, we felt it was particularly important to use our exhibition to draw attention to the history and importance of remembrance in Germany.

How do the citizens of Oberhausen position themselves today towards this monument?
Even today there are mixed opinions about The MournerSome Oberhausen residents are demanding that no more memorial events be held there because of Meller's past. Others consider Meller's work to be less critical and are calling for the tradition to continue. In order to better understand the opinions of Oberhausen residents, the current exhibition has an online station where visitors can express their opinions about the commemoration in Oberhausen and possible improvements. Visitors can enter their opinions. The results are evaluated anonymously.

The questions to Lisa Kleinholz, research associate at the Oberhausen Memorial Hall, were asked by Dagmar Winkler, press and public relations officer at LUDWIGGALERIE Schloss Oberhausen.