Among the supporters of the Shoah Wall of Names Memorial in the City Council of Vienna and in the Government of Austria, there are several who contributed to the successful realisation of the Project with outstanding commitment. On this website page, we wish to honor these people.
BUNDESKANZLER SEBASTIAN KURZ
After receiving the letter from Kurt Yakov Tutter, Secretary General of the Association, asking for support of the Shoah Wall of Names Memorial, Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz gave the Project his firm agreement. The Federal Chancellor further decided to contribute 50% of the Euro 5.3 Million total costs of the Project.
On March 13th 2018, Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz received the Secretary General of the Memorial Association, Kurt Yakov Tutter and personally advised him of these decisions.
Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Secretary General Kurt Yakov Tutter, March 13th 2018.
Photo: BKA
PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL, Mag. WOLFGANG SOBOTKA
President of the Austrian National Council Mag. Wolfgang Sobotka strongly supported the decisions of Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz. He further saw to it that an experienced Project Manager from the Government Properties Office, DI Wolfgang Schiechl, would supervise the construction of the Memorial Project, together with our Architect DI Wolfgang Wehofer. As a result, the construction activities are moving ahead confidently, in accordance with the agreed development plan.
President Wolfgang Sobotka follows the Memorial Project closely and works steadily to strengthen its further development.
President of the National Council Mag. Wolfgang Sobotka. Portrait_PHOTO_SIMONIS4
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF VIENNA, Dr. MICHAEL LUDWIG
Without a building site dedicated by the City of Vienna, the construction of the Shoah Wall of Names Memorial would not have been possible. It was the Mayor of the City of Vienna, Dr. Michael Ludwig, who dedicated Ostarrichi Park to us as building site for the Project.
Appointed in May 2018 as the new Mayor, it would have been reasonable for him to take a certain amount of time for consultations regarding this, to him, entirely new Project. Without a dedicated building site however, no actual construction work for the Memorial would have been permitted and the Project would simply have come to a halt. With wisdom, Mayor Michael Ludwig decided promptly in September 2018, to dedicate Ostarrichi Park as building site for the Memorial.
A number of important qualities were expected of the building site. It should be located in the inner core of Vienna, so as to be easily accessible to the general public. The site should also convey the calmness, which a Place of Reverence requires. Finally, it should be beautiful, so as to provide an appropriate environment for the Memorial. Ostarrichi Park fulfills these requirements in an outstanding manner.
Mayor of the City of Vienna Dr. Michael Ludwig;
Portrait Copyright PID David Bohmann
DEPUTY MAYOR OF THE CITY OF VIENNA from 2010 to 2019,
Mag.a MARIA VASSILAKOU
Deputy Mayor Maria Vassilakou was the first City Councillor of Vienna to publicly declare her agreement for the construction of the Shoah Wall of Names Memorial. That was in May 2012. She also committed herself to dedicate a building site for us, which would be inside a park that is located in the inner core of the City.
A decision regarding such a significant Project would also have to receive the approval of the Mayor of Vienna, for which we then had to wait a lot more time. Approval of the Memorial by Deputy Mayor Maria Vassilakou did however lend the Project an entirely new level of prestige as well as credibility, so that the City Council of Vienna and the Austrian Federal Government began to take the Project seriously.
Deputy Mayor of the City of Vienna, Mag.a Maria Vassilakou
