Ronnenberg

53
Memorial plaque for Jewish prayer hall
Velterstraße

Besides the laying of Stolpersteine (stumbling blocks) the city of Ronnenberg commemorates the victims of National Socialism terror at two other locations. A memorial plaque at the current registry office is a reminder of the former prayer hall of the Jewish community in this building during the "Kristallnacht" ("Night of Broken Glass," for the shattered glass from the store windows that littered the streets) in 1938.
The memorial plaque bears the inscription: “Listen Israel. Our Jewish citizens prayed in this prayer hall until 1938. In memory city of Ronnenberg 1998.” Public commemoration ceremonies are held here to mark the anniversary of the "Kristallnacht".


54
Memorial in memory of East European forced labourers
Cemetery in Häkenstraße

The memorial on the cemetery in Häkenstraße was built in the 90s to commemorate the fate of the East European forced labourers who died in Ronnenberg. In the burial ground 35 victims from Poland and the Soviet Union were buried. Of these victims 22 remained unknown; among them were 18 children. The Dynamit Nobel AG factory in Ronnenberg-Empelde developed to one of the biggest armament factories in the area of armaments headquarters in Hanover during World War II. The factory employed a number of East European forced labourers. A shack camp was located at Benther Berg; the labourers were employed at Empelder Werk (Empelder station). A total of approximately 1,500 people were accommodated in the camps. Annual commemoration ceremonies of the Holocaust take place on 27 January.

Stolpersteine (stumbling blocks)
The first Stolpersteine in the region of Hanover were laid on 9 May, 2005 in the city of Ronnenberg. The Stolpersteine in Ronnenberg commemorate the former Jewish citizens Max and Rosa Seligmann as well as Lina Cohen.
Lina Cohen’s grandson, Prof. Fritz Cohen, arrived from the USA when the Stolpersteine were laid two years ago. The 82-year old man gave an account of his family’s fate in front of their former home, and also, during the hours of remembrance, in the parish hall of Michaeliskirche (St. Michael’s church) and in the assembly hall of Marie Curie Schule (Marie Curie school) – KGS Ronnenberg. He managed to emigrate to the United States in 1938, while his sick grandmother had to stay behind. Later she was brought to the concentration camp Theresienstadt and was killed there at the age of 84.

As an act of symbolism, Lina Cohen was buried in the Jewish Cemetery on 13 July, 2001. This hour of remembrance was initiated by her grandson Prof. Fritz Cohen. The graves of the Seligmann and Cohen families are also located in this cemetery.

Literature: 3, 50 Media 107, 111

To be found on the map under:

53. Memorial plaque Jewish prayer hall

Memorial plaque at former registry office, Velsterstraße 2, 30952 Ronnenberg

Directions: bus 510 in the direction of Linderte, stop Ronnenberg/Benther Straße

54. Memorial in memory of East European forced labourers who were female

Memorial in the cemetery in Häkenstraße, OT Empelde, 30952 Ronnenberg

Directions: tramline 9 in the direction of Empelde, stop Empelde

Stolpersteine (Stumbling Blocks)

Stolpersteine: Über den Beeken No. 11 and No. 15, 30952 Ronnenberg

Jewish cemetery: Am Weingarten/ at the corner of Velsterstraße

Contact:
Stadt Ronnenberg (City of Ronnenberg)
Susanne Ebeling
Hansastr. 38, 30952 Ronnenberg
Tel. +49 (511) 460 01 18
E-mail: susanne.ebeling[at]ronnenberg.de
www.ronnenberg.de
Network member

Contact Stolpersteine:
German-Israeli Society, Arbeitsgemeinschaft Hannover
PO box 1267
30954 Hemmingen
Tel. +49 (511) 234 35 72
Email: info[at]dig-hannover.de
www.dig-hannover.de
Network member