Mauthausen Aktiv GUSEN
within ARBEITSKREIS FUER HEIMAT-, DENKMAL- UND GESCHICHTSPFLEGE (AHDG)
and Local-International Platform ST. GEORGEN/GUSEN, Austria
KZ Mauthausen-GUSEN Info-Pages
CITY-PARTNERSHIPS
The following city partnerships are dedicated to the unknown tens of
of thousands of victims of the KZ Gusen I, II & III concentration camps within
the "Mauthausen" system of 49 camps all over "Austrian" territory.
The city partnerships acknowledge the Gestapo´s deportation of large groups from these cities
in March 1944 for exploitation in the strategic KZ Gusen II underground projects.
Since that KZ Gusen II camp was an extremely brutal camp, most of these
deportees died alongside thousands of others from all over Europe.
The city partnerships encourage projects to preserve the memory and history of the 40,000 victims
of KZ Gusen I, II & III in the minds of all people of good will.
These partnerships do not just gaze toward the past; they also promote relevations of current inhumanities,
thus fostering human rights in hopes of a future with tolerance, democracy, and the spirit of understanding.
Empoli (FI), Italy
On March 8, 1944, 115 young men from Empoli,
located some 39 km west of Florence, were deported to Germany to work in the NAZI war effort.
Just 23 of them returned home after World War II.
On March 8, 1997 (the 53rd anniversary of the deportation), Mayor Vittorio Bugli
and Mayor Rudolf Honeder contracted to make Empoli a partner city of St.Georgen/Gusen,
where the KZ Gusen II (Bergristall) tunnels are located.
From May 2 to 4, 1997, an official delegation from Empoli visited St.Georgen/Gusen, and
Mayor Vittorio Bugli gave an official commemorational address at
the 3rd Local-International Commemoration.
Meanwhile, several exchange programs between students from Empoli and St. Georgen/Gusen
and different local associations were arranged and shall be developped further.
Sesto San Giovanni (MI), Italy
Sesto San Giovanni is today the north-eastern part of Milan.
In April 1944, some 400 young man were deported from Sesto S.G. to Nazi Germany
to be used as slave labor. 125 were deported to KZ Gusen, where 94 died.
In May of 1996, a twinning agrrement was negotiated with Langenstein,
where the KZ Gusen I & II camps were located.
An official delegation from Langenstein, headed by Vice-Mayor Ernst Hutsteiner,
visited Sesto S.G. on March 6, 1997.
During the 3rd Local-International Commemoration on May 3, 1997, an official
delegation from Sesto S.G., headed by Presidente Giancarlo Castelli, also visited Langenstein.
In August 1997, Signor Grimaldi visited Langenstein to discuss further details
concerning the future "Gemilaggio" .
Meanwhile there developped a very good cooperation between representatives of Sesto S.G. and
local associations from Langenstein. Even some historical documentations are already translated from German
to the Italian language by certain organizations of Sesto S.G.
Information credit:
- ANED Sezione di Empoli (FI)
- Comune di Empoli (FI)
- ANED Sezione di Sesto San Giovanni (MI)
- Comune di Sesto San Giovanni (MI)
Twinning Agreement Empoli-St.Georgen/Gusen
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ARBEITSKREIS FUER HEIMAT DENKMAL- UND GESCHICHTSPFLEGE
Most recent updates of this page were made on
990120 by Rudolf A. HAUNSCHMIED
Martha Gammer, Siegi Witzany-Durda and
8th Grade Class at Beulah High School, US-Alabama,
Jan-Ruth White, teacher