A year after the initial release of my book “Hasta que no estés en su lugar” (2021), I traveled to Berlin and reached out to Marie Rolshoven, daughter of Jani Pietsch, a Berlin historian and artist who had been a “guardian angel” in my research for the book.
I invite you to read the full article https://www.ilanalamstein.com/en/hasta-que-no-estes-en-su-lugar-colaborando-jani-pietsch-marie-rolshoven-dmao
Marie Rolshoven, Jani Pietsch, and Florian Voss, inspired by Denise Citroen's Dutch project "Open Jewish Homes," launched "Denk Mal Am Ort" in Germany to honor Jews and other non-Jewish victims persecuted by the Nazi regime.
"Denk Mal Am Ort" (DMAO), which translates to "commemorate at the place," started in Berlin and has since expanded to other German cities, including Frankfurt, Munich, and Hamburg.
This project aims to shed light on and bring to collective memory the histories of Jewish families in the very homes where they once lived and were later taken to their deaths.
Each year, participants in this initiative open their homes to "remember them in their place." Visitors are invited into these residences, now occupied by other families, where they can attend lectures, readings, and view documents that record the families' legacies.
Earlier this year, Marie Rolshoven's commitment and hard work were honored with the Obermayer Award 2024 for her ongoing efforts with the "Denk Mal Am Ort" project, which continued after Jani Pietsch passed away in July 2020.
Today, this award, presented by the Obermayer Foundation and established by Arthur Obermayer and his wife, is one of the programs under the organization Widen the Circle. Its goal is to strengthen local efforts in Germany and the United States to combat racism, antisemitism, and xenophobia.
"Denk Mal Am Ort," along with six other projects, received this distinguished and well-deserved recognition for the educational and transformative impact of their actions on society. They were honored for raising awareness among new generations about the past and for actively combating hatred, prejudice, and discrimination.
To all of them, thank you for your commitment, dedication, and for spreading light.
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