martin krenn

mahnmal friedenskreuz st. lorenz

In the 1960s, a Cross of Peace was erected above St. Lorenz, near what is now the Wachau World Heritage Trail (Welterbesteig Wachau). The cross is dedicated to the Jockisch Combat Team (Kampfgruppe Jockisch), a unit of the German Wehrmacht that fought in the Second World War in what is today Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Belarus. In-depth research by the historians Gregor Kremser and Robert Streibel has revealed that this reserve division primarily trained recruits at the beginning of the war, but starting in 1943 it became involved in almost daily combat with partisans. During these actions, entire villages were burned down, hostages were seized, and civilians were murdered as “retaliation measures.” Recently, the character of this site has also changed through unmistakable symbols being attached to the cross: a Wehrmacht helmet and a laurel wreath. As a result, a competition to redesign the site was initiated, which was won by the artist Martin Krenn.

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