Non-open competition with an open preliminary application procedure to obtain a concept for the construction of a learning and memorial site in memory of the deportations during the Nazi era in Worms.
Occasion and nature of the ideas competition
In May 1940, 71 Worms Sinti were deported, and in March and September 1942 around 180 Jews from Worms who were still living in the city were deported. The creation of a central learning and memorial site to commemorate these deportations during the Nazi era in the city of Worms has been under discussion since 2009. That year, the “Train of Remembrance” made a stop in Worms to commemorate the deportation of several hundred thousand children from Germany and the rest of Europe to the Nazi concentration and extermination camps on the Deutsche Reichsbahn rail network. As a result, an application was submitted to the city council for the establishment of a place of learning and remembrance of the Worms deportations on the site of the former goods station, discussed in the culture committee and further processed by the administration. However, the site in question, which was owned by the railroad company, could not be used for years. For this reason, the “Förderverein Lern- und Gedenkstätte Worms” (Worms Freight Station Learning and Memorial Site Association) and the “Round Table” convened by Lord Mayor Adolf Kessel were founded in 2022. In the discussions held there, a publicly accessible location at Worms Central Station was favored for implementation.
The City of Worms now intends to award a contract for the development of an artistic concept for a learning and memorial site to commemorate the deportation of Worms citizens during the National Socialist era at Worms Central Station.
Task
The character of the planned learning and memorial site should make the situation of the deportations visible in the artistic design. The deportations took place as inconspicuously as possible, but were still visible to the citizens of Worms. In order for the memorial site to be actively visited and perceived by the public and for the politically and historically important topic to be communicated to the public, good accessibility should be ensured:
The learning and memorial site should convey knowledge as well as appeal emotionally and enable empathy with the victims. An artistic and/or creative implementation concept is desired that focuses on the core objective of the learning and memorial site, namely the commemoration of the expulsion, deportation and murder of Worms citizens.
The costs of the subsequent implementation must be taken into account and specified in the concept.
A budget of around €100,000 is expected to be available for this.
The implementation should not take place on the site of the former Worms goods station, from which the deportations during the National Socialist era originated. Instead, the memorial and learning site is to be erected in the immediate vicinity of the presumed location on one of the forecourts or in the vicinity of Worms’ main railway station. This will also ensure visibility and confrontation in and with the public. The artistic design is also expected to ensure that it can be linked to current exclusion and persecution in social discourse.
The City of Worms is holding an ideas competition with the intention of realization (not a realization competition). The ideas competition will be held as a restricted competition in an anonymous procedure with a preliminary open application process . Participants in the competition will be selected by a selection committee. For the competition task max. 10 participants selected.
Fee for the ideas competition
1. 1st prize: € 5,000
2nd prize: € 2,500
3rd prize: € 1,500
Non-award-winning participants receive an expense allowance of € 500 each.
Form of the documents to be submitted for the application phase I Expression of interest
- Details of the place of business: name, contact person, address, telephone, fax, e-mail, internet address if applicable. For group applications, details of all participants.
- Proof of the use of the above-mentioned professional title
- Artistic career Max. 3 DIN A4 pages
- Presentation of examples of artistic I creative work Max. 3 DIN A4 pages
- A binding declaration of participation (form)
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Application documents other than those required will not be accepted.
Incorrect information will result in exclusion from the application. The application documents will remain with the awarding authority.
Link to the invitation to tender / website
Application deadline: January 15, 2025