Bronze Relief "Jewish Passion" in Memory of the Holocaust

The sculptor Yrsa von Leistner gifted the Israeli Community of Salzburg in 1972 the bronze relief "Jewish Passion," with which she establishes a connection between the crucifixion of Jesus and the Shoah. Thus, on the relief, the crucifying Jesus of Nazareth is recognizable. The closely packed figures following him represent the Jews and Jewish women who were persecuted and murdered during the NS period. The relief was intended to be the first memorial for the murdered Jews and Jewish women in Salzburg; accordingly, it was also planned to install it at a prominent location in the public space – on the wall of the Franciscan monastery –, but the city government objected. The artwork was therefore unveiled in the Peace Church St. Elisabeth. There, it fell into obscurity. Today, the relief is displayed in the Bible World Museum, although the NS context is disregarded.