Frankfurt honours Emilie and Oskar Schindler
The square in front of Frankfurt's main railway station has had a new name since Sunday: In a festive ceremony, it was renamed "Emilie-und-Oskar-Schindler-Platz". Mayor Mike Josef (SPD), local councillor Michael Weber and publicist Michel Friedman unveiled the new street sign in the afternoon. This was followed in the evening by a reception in the Kaisersaal of the Römer, where contemporary witnesses and political representatives honoured the couple's achievements.
The renaming took place on the eve of Oskar Schindler's 118th birthday. The entrepreneur and his wife Emilie saved more than 1,200 Jews from being murdered by the National Socialists during the Holocaust. "Whoever saves a life saves the whole world", Mayor Josef quoted from the Talmud. The Schindler couple had shown humanity "at the risk of their own lives when it was life-threatening".
The decision to name the centrally located square in the immediate vicinity of the main railway station after the Schindlers was already made in 2023. The realisation is not only intended to preserve the memory of their courage, but also to make Oskar Schindler's previously little-known connection to Frankfurt visible. Schindler lived in the Main metropolis, not far from the railway station, for almost a decade after the Second World War.
Pioneers of remembrance
Ina Hartwig (SPD), Head of the Department of Culture and Science, reminded the audience that Oskar Schindler had become world-famous thanks to Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of Thomas Keneally's novel Schindler's List. However, the outstanding role of his wife Emilie is less well known. "By naming the square, we are also raising public awareness of Emilie Schindler," said Hartwig.
Michael Weber, head of local advisory council 1, paid tribute to the Schindlers' civil courage: "At a time when looking the other way would have been easier, they decided to act."This was a role model for present and future generations,
Michel Friedman, whose parents were saved by Oskar and Emilie Schindler, found powerful words: "Schindler proved that the helplessness of many Germans in the face of National Socialism was a cheap excuse."In view of current threats to democracy, Friedman called for responsibility to be derived from the example of the Schindlers: "Democracy lives from the commitment of each individual."
Testimonies
Other speakers included historian and biographer Erika Rosenberg-Band, who met Emilie Schindler in Argentina in 1990, and Michael Trautwein, son of a Frankfurt pastor and friend of the Schindler family. Rosenberg-Band recalled the unshakeable humanity of Emilie Schindler, who never allowed herself to be paralysed by fear: "She acted out of compassion - courageously, selflessly and without hesitation."
Trautwein recounted his childhood memories of Oskar Schindler, whom he knew as a generous and cheerful person whose true impact he only realised later.
A place as a reminder
After the war, Oskar and Emilie Schindler initially left Germany and settled in Argentina. Oskar Schindler returned to Germany in 1957 and lived in Frankfurt again until his death in 1974. Both were honoured at Yad Vashem as "Righteous Among the Nations". Emilie Schindler died in 2001 during a stay in Germany.
With the naming of "Emilie-und-Oskar-Schindler-Platz", the story of an extraordinary couple who stood up for humanity and civil courage has been given a permanent place in Frankfurt's public consciousness.
