“80 years after liberation” – a commemorative event against forgetting
800 numbers – 800 women – 800 fates.
A moving commemorative evening took place on April 28, 2025 in the Communication Center on the Geislingen Groupe SEB campus. In the last years of the Second World War, more than 800 Jewish women were imprisoned in the Geislingen subcamp and performed the heaviest forced labor on the WMF grounds and for the WMF to support the German war economy.
Eight decades after its liberation, the company, together with the Geislinger Initiative, has now “Remembering – Honouring – Reconciling” as well as those responsible for the city of Geislingen: for the remembrance of the injustice, for the appreciation of the victims and for the power of encounter.
Relatives from all over the world
Ten descendants of the women imprisoned at the time had accepted the invitation, some from far away – from Israel, Australia and the United States. Their voices gave the evening a special depth: personal, impressive and visibly moved, they reported on their mothers and grandmothers, whose fates have a painful root in Geislingen.
More than 200 invited guests – from the city and region, from politics and culture – followed the event – quietly, movingly, thoughtfully. “This is a place that holds history. History that hurts, but which must be heard so that it never repeats itself,” explained Stefanie Leiterholt as hostess and, together with Mr. Österling, the pastor of the Tegelberg Church, welcomed the ten guests of honor “with great gratitude and humility”. In their speeches, both emphasized the lasting responsibility of today’s generations: “We have to look. We have to name the names. Giving the victims back their dignity – that is the first step towards reconciliation.”
A minute of silence and a moving message of greeting from Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier formed the ceremonial prelude.
Remembering is alive…
The evening was musically accompanied by the Geislingen choir ensemble “No Distance” and the Klezmer Trio of the Geislingen Music School – sounds that evoked memories and gave room to emotions. The city archivist Dr. Philipp Lintner set the framework for the individual fates with a historical lecture. The speeches of the bereaved, which allowed a deep look into their innermost being, in which they reported on the stories of their own mother and grandmother, touched the audience deeply and made the immeasurable suffering of the women in the Geislingen subcamp tangible in a haunting way.
The students of the Michelberg-Gymnasium also created an emotional moment: They recited the names of those women whose descendants were sitting in the audience – and each presented them with a paper rose with a personal message. A quiet but profound act of appreciation and solidarity.
… and remains
The commemorative evening was embedded in a two-day accompanying program for the bereaved: city tours on historical traces, an official reception in the town hall and an exchange with more than 200 Geislingen students in the “Rätsche” cultural center opened up a variety of perspectives of remembrance – and exchange.
WMF – and with it Groupe SEB – are aware of their historical responsibility and would also like to involve and share with their employees: There are currently plans to set up a permanent exhibition on the factory premises – as a lasting reminder and sign of remembrance for future generations.
A detailed report on all the meetings and program items that took place on April 28 and 29, 2025 as part of “80 Years after the Liberation” can be found in the next issue of the in.site, which will be published at the end of May.