Place of Remembrance

On Nazi history at Geisberg

 

EVIM has erected a memorial on Geisberg in Wiesbaden to commemorate children and young people who were removed from Protestant educational institutions during the Nazi era and transferred to state institutions. At least four of them fell victim to Nazi "euthanasia" crimes. The old cedar tree under which the memorial was designed stands as a powerful symbol of remembrance, warning, and responsibility.

A place of remembrance and responsibility

 

Under the approximately 180-year-old cedar tree on the Geisberg, Wiesbaden artist Nabo Gaß has created a place dedicated to commemorating the victims and learning from history.

With this memorial site, EVIM is making an explicit commitment to an open, critical culture of remembrance—as part of its diaconal responsibility in the church and society.

"The cedar tree does not remain silent. This place stands for the memory of the victims—and for our promise to learn from history."

Matthias Loyal, Chairman of the Board, EVIM

Inscription bands and steles beneath the cedar

 

Steles, symbolically supporting the existing and no longer existing branches of the cedar, bear the names of the murdered children and thought-provoking quotations.

We remember Erhard, 12 years old...

...killed on November 25, 1941

The reappraisal of EVIM's history during the Nazi era

On the occasion of its 175th anniversary, EVIM commissioned a new scientific investigation into its own Nazi past. Historians from the Guttmann Grau und Partner agency researched the events that took place in the former reform schools on the Geisberg.

This revealed that earlier accounts had been somewhat embellished.

What happened to the children?

In 1937, numerous children and young people were removed from the homes on the orders of the Nazi authorities. Four biographies could be reconstructed in full:

  • Hans P., born in 1924 – killed in 1944 in Kalmenhof
  • Erhard R., born in 1928 – killed in 1941 in Kalmenhof
  • Ferdinand M., born in 1922 – killed in 1944 in Kalmenhof
  • Else M., born in 1922 – murdered in 1941 in Hadamar

The inauguration of the memorial site – remembrance as a mission

During the ceremony to mark the opening of the memorial site, candles were lit for the known victims and roses were laid down.

A recitation expressed the leitmotif of the commemoration:

"The cedar does not remain silent.
Under its crown, once protective, the
unspeakable happened.
Today, its branches carry the
voices of those who were silenced."

The symbolism of the cedar

 

The cedar tree on Geisberg was planted around 1840 – just a few years older than the association itself. For generations, the site has been a place of education and care and remains the central location for various EVIM departments to this day.

The memorial combines this historical significance with the task of taking responsibility and preserving humanity.

Those who stand here are
not only standing under a tree,
but in the shadow of history.
 

And in the light of a promise:
Never again!
 

And should this cedar tree one day fall silent,
then let us plant a new one...

"This cedar tree, which has provided shelter for generations, now needs our support. It tells of the horrors of history and reminds us to stand up for one another."

Artist Nabo Gaß

"The question of how we behave in authoritarian systems is a topical one worldwide. This place reminds us that humanity, responsibility, and the courage to speak out against injustice can never be taken for granted."

Matthias Loyal

Brochure

The Cedar Does Not Remain Silent

 

Detailed documentation on the historical research and design of the memorial site is available for download as a PDF file.

 Report on the inauguration of the memorial site

Brochure "The Cedar Tree Does Not Remain Silent" (PDF, 7.1 MB)

Scientific research on Nazi history (PDF, 1.4 MB)

Picture gallery of the inauguration

175 years of EVIM

The establishment of the memorial site was part of the activities and celebrations surrounding the 2025 anniversary year marking the 175th anniversary of EVIM's founding.

Experience the other highlights of the anniversary:

These were the highlights