Exploring the Nazi Era Associated with Honorary Citizen Ernst Sigle in Kornwestheim.
The city of Kornwestheim, Germany, is embarking on a significant historical investigation, focusing on Ernst Sigle, a prominent figure in the city's industrial past. Historian Anne Sudrow has been commissioned by the city to delve into Sigle's role during the Nazi era, a period that casts a long shadow over the city's history.
Born in Kornwestheim in 1872, Sigle began his career as a shoemaking apprentice. He later rose through the ranks to become a board member of the company that would become Salamander. The company, during the Nazi era, employed thousands of forced laborers, a fact that has sparked discussions about a memorial stele for these individuals.
Sudrow's role in the project is not explicitly detailed in available search results, and there is no information about her previous research on Salamander's history. However, it is known that she has already researched Salamander in her work "The Shoe in National Socialism."
The history of Salamander is deeply intertwined with many people's family history in Kornwestheim. The shoe testing track at Sachsenhausen concentration camp, used by Salamander, forced prisoners to walk up to 48 kilometers daily, resulting in an estimated ten to twenty inmates being killed daily on this track.
The investigation into Sigle's role during the Nazi era is a first, and it is expected to cost the city approximately 47,000 euros. The current owner of the Salamander site has rejected the location for the memorial stele, leaving its final placement uncertain.
The mayor of Kornwestheim has emphasized that the investigation should be open-minded, allowing for both negative and positive findings. The consequences of the findings are still open, but the city council and the Sigle family have shown understanding and support for the investigation.
Inquiries about Sigle have not been limited to the city. Students from the Ernst-Sigle-Gymnasium, inaugurated in 1961, and people outside the city have also shown interest in Sigle's role during the Third Reich. The school's namesake's past is now under scrutiny, and the investigation is expected to be completed by Spring 2026.
The memorial stele, currently half-hidden by large plant pots in front of the town hall, stands as a symbol of the city's commitment to uncovering and acknowledging its past. As Sudrow delves deeper into the history of Salamander and Ernst Sigle, the city of Kornwestheim is poised to face its past and move towards a more informed future.
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