"Violas instead of Forget-Me-Nots" Film Presentation

The documentary film by Müllheim filmmaker Kerstin Pommerenke, "Stiefmütterchen statt Vergissmeinnicht," tells the moving story of the former synagogue and offers a new perspective on the Jewish heritage of the town. In Müllheim, thirty years after the destruction during the Reich Pogrom Night in 1938, the Jewish synagogue building was demolished. A parking lot was built on the newly freed land on Hauptstraße. In memory of the Jewish community and as a reminder of the synagogue, a memorial stone has stood in one corner of the square since 1973. How did the late demolition in 1968 come about? What were the circumstances and the mood in Müllheim at that time? Was there an awareness of the political and social significance and implications of the demolition? How public were the demolition plans made and discussed? How was the local reporting? Minutes from the municipal council from the post-war period, correspondence from the city of Müllheim with the Supreme Council of Israelites in Karlsruhe, and Jewish interested parties who wanted to preserve the building provide partial answers to these questions. The artist Bernd Völkle, who had his studio in the former synagogue in the 1960s, also attempts to provide answers. He shares his memories with photos and film footage from his private archive. The film gently addresses the engagement with the Jewish heritage in Müllheim. Because alongside the demolition of the synagogue, there were also constructive approaches to dealing with Müllheim's Jewish past: the establishment of a memorial stone in the Jewish cemetery in 1987, the invitation of Holocaust survivors in 1987, and the laying of stumbling stones in 2006. Other companions, historians, and city archivist Dirschka accompany the filmmaker on her quest for traces. This makes the film a valuable contribution to the history of the town, reviving the memory of the Jewish community.