Kreuzstadl Rechnitz
Memorial site on the edge of Rechnitz with the ruin of the Kreuzstadl and an information area on the Nazi crimes committed during the construction of the South-East Wall.
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About the museum
The Kreuzstadl, named after its cross-shaped floor plan, once belonged to the home farm of the Batthyány estate in Rechnitz. On the night of 24 to 25 March 1945, around 180 Hungarian-Jewish forced labourers, who had previously been deployed building the "South-East Wall", were shot and buried nearby. The perpetrators came from among the guests at a party held by leading Nazi Party members in the village. To this day the mass grave has not been found.
After decades of repression, the sculptor Karl Prantl and his wife discovered the overgrown ruin in 1991. The memorial initiative RE.F.U.G.I.U.S. has campaigned since 1991 to preserve the farmstead as a memorial to all victims of the South-East Wall construction. In 1992 a sculptors' association acquired and secured the building, and in 1993 it was handed over to the Jewish Community of Vienna as a memorial.
Today the memorial consists of the secured ruin and an information and documentation area built in 2012, in which display panels explain the origin of the South-East Wall and the massacre. The memorial initiative offers guided tours for school classes and groups, which can also include the memorial trail "Jewish Life in Rechnitz" with ten display panels in the village.
Highlights
- Ruin of the Kreuzstadl as a memorial
- Information and documentation area with display panels (2012)
- Guided tours for schools and groups
- Memorial trail "Jewish Life in Rechnitz" with ten panels
Permanent exhibition
- Informations- und Dokumentationsbereich Kreuzstadl – Display panels explain the construction of the South-East Wall, the forced labour and the massacre of March 1945.
- Founded
- 2012
- Operated by
- Verein RE.F.U.G.I.U.S. (Rechnitzer Flüchtlings- und Gedenkinitiative)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups (5+ people) | €4 per personGuided tour for groups (minimum 5 people), approx. 2 hours; reduced rate €3. |
|---|---|
| Guided tour for school groups (per person) | €21 September–31 October and 1 March–30 June, Monday–Wednesday 10 a.m.–3 p.m., max. 26 people |
| Guided tour for groups (per person) | €4Reduced rate €3 for seniors, children and young people, students, apprentices, military and civilian service personnel, and people with disabilities |
| Tour of the memorial trail "Jewish Life in Rechnitz" (per person) | €4Reduced rate €3; by arrangement, approx. 2 hours |
Visiting the memorial is free of charge; prices apply only to guided tours.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
The memorial is located on the southern edge of Rechnitz on Geschriebensteinstraße.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Tours by registration at rundgang@refugius.at; school bookings by the 9th of the preceding month. As a place of learning, the memorial is included in the national funding programme for visits to memorial sites (school years 8 and 11). |
