Information Evening in Langenstein on the Participation Process

Following the purchase earlier this year of significant historical plots of land on the site of the former Gusen concentration camp by the Republic of Austria, the participation process on redesigning the Gusen Memorial is now in full swing. This process, which will last several months, will ensure the involvement of regional, national and international stakeholders, for example the victim nations and survivors’ associations, local memorial initiatives, researchers and local residents.

The team charged with carrying out the project – the agency art:phalanx and the architecture firm heri&salli – will run a range of discussion and event formats until July 2023 in order to gain a comprehensive picture of opinions around the project and to formulate the basis for the next stage of planning. The overall aim of the participation process is to develop a masterplan, agreed by all parties, for the design and operational framework of the future site. This will then serve as the basis for a subsequent competition to redesign the newly acquired plots of land in Langenstein and St. Georgen.

The first opportunities for discussion have already taken place. On 16 September, local residents in Langenstein were invited to an information evening, at which the Mauthausen Memorial and the project team presented the latest developments and the process as a whole. Local residents had the chance to ask questions and lively discussions took place. The team also presented upcoming events and possibilities for getting involved.

‘I am delighted by the high interest in the redesign of the Gusen Memorial. The involvement of the local population is a significant factor in the success of the redesign’, said Barbara Glück, director of the Mauthausen Memorial. ‘The participation process offers us the chance to develop a memorial site for future generations together. I am convinced that the varied and innovative participation formats will reveal new possibilities for contemporary memorial culture.’

Upcoming tours:

The next opportunity to visit the land purchased by the Republic of Austria will be on 25 September 2022 (Day of the Monument). A special tour on ‘Gusen Through Time’, which will take about three hours, will start at 10am for all interested visitors.