Denkmal den Opfern
In Frankfurt, Denkmal den Opfern stands as a war memorial shaped by Jewish sculptor Benno Elkan. Swedish marble forms a crouching woman whose face and body twist through grief.
Completed in 1920, the sculpture commemorates soldiers who died in the First World War. Its inscription, “Den Opfern”, appears on the pedestal beneath the mourning figure. Frankfurt’s magistrate chose this image in 1919, turning attention from military glory towards victims on opposing sides. National conservatives criticised the work because its sorrowful figure challenged ideas of national pride.
The Nazi regime removed the memorial in 1933 while suppressing Jewish influence in public art. Hidden during the war, it returned near its original site after rededication in 1946. Wheelchair access allows more visitors to encounter its anti-war message and stark expression of remembrance.
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