Memorial on the square at the old synagogue

The central place of remembrance and commemoration for the murdered Jews of Paderborn has been the memorial created by Per Kirkeby on the square „An der Alten Synagoge“ since 1993.The memorial was created in brick, typical for the artist Kirkeby, and for Paderborn in yellow with reddish horizontal stripes. The material, color scheme and design are reminiscent of the destroyed synagogue. In the two niches to the left are eight bronze plaques with an explanatory text, a biblical quotation and the names of 110 murdered Paderborn Jews; the inmates of the former forced labor camp on Grünen Weg and the children and employees of the Jewish orphanage are also commemorated. The arched niche on the right bears no plaque of remembrance. The viewer may think of the nameless Jews whose fate remains unknown to this day. It took longer to erect a memorial to the murdered Jews in Paderborn than in other places in North Rhine-Westphalia and East Westphalia-Lippe.