Friedensmal Foundation  

In 1998, the idea of building the Friedensmals (monument) was born in an artists head. It was not meant to be another memorial of admonishment for society, but a Friedensmal, a "going into peace"-Memorial  for the human being, that would show the way to healing the trauma of Germany's recent past. This is a prerequisite for mastering the future.

In 2001, the Friedensmal Wendepunkt Association was founded to support the project. After the realization of the plan in Berlin and Fulda failed due to a lack of interest or oversized fears, a suitable plot of land for the monument was finally purchased in Bensheim-Hochstädten in southern Hesse. It took 9 years from the political preliminary work and the planning of the project to the application for a building permit. During this time, a sufficient amount of private donations could be collected. In January 2010, the building permit was finally granted and construction work could begin.

The construction time was 5 years, as numerous difficulties had to be overcome, mainly due to the private nature of the project. Finally, on September 27, 2015, the Jerusalem Peace Memorial was inaugurated in Germany with a school class from the Bensheim Goethe Gymnasium and a class from its partner school in Haifa, Israel. The patron was Mrs Batsheva Dagan from Israel. - The Jerusalem Peace Memorial was realized purely through civic engagement and with the own funds. Let art be free! This should also be an encouragement for people to live their freedom and bring their good dreams to life.

On chairperson of the Friedensmal Wendepunkt Association, Mrs. Linde Weiland, proposed at the general meeting that the association be converted into a foundation after completion of the Friedensmal. The legal form of a foundation is the more suitable form for the further work with the Friedensmal. There was again a long way to go. On January 28, 2021 the time had finally come: the Friedensmal Foundation was recognized by the Darmstadt Foundation Supervisory Authority. The former association became the "Circle of Friends of the Friedensmal Foundation".

Statutes of the Friedensmal Foundation of December 10, 2020

Linde Weiland, former chairwoman of the Jewish community of Fulda - The twenty years as chairwoman of the Jewish community made me aware of the need to approach each other with tolerance.

Anton Euler, Rentner (formerly working at the Mission for the Blind) - The idea of reconciliation appeals to me. For me, it means coming to terms with God and oneself in order to come to terms with one's neighbor. It means breaking down prejudices in order to come closer to one another, to be ready to listen and to accept the other as a human being.

Maria Mrotzek, Nurse - This Peace Memorial is important to us. It reminds us on a very dark past and in that it shows a way of peace. Places of contemplation, where people recognize and understand, are an important contribution for a healthy society.

Konrad Kaschek, Hauskeeper and working pensioner - I want to set positive signs and build a bridge between the past and the present. My aim is to contribute to the development of our civilization. I want to help so that it can develop further in peace and freedom.

Susanne Kuphal-Lemcke, Speech therapist - For me, the only possible path to world peace is through the inner peace of each individual. The basic idea of the Foundation is therefore exactly the path I am currently taking. I am happy about the initiator's courage in making a vision come true.

Master of Civil Engineering - I wish every day to reconcile family and career to the best of my ability and to be able to look to the future with confidence in God. I am happy to contribute to alleviating the suffering of people who are less on the sunny side of life. The wheels that I can turn in my environment for this are small. The wheel that stands behind the Jerusalem Friedensmal, on the other hand, I consider to be much larger than one can perceive.