1848er Monument for Olshausen Brothers

Kiel, Germany:

Every student and every single member of the alumni knows the name of “Olshausenstraße” from every day’s trip to the city of Kiel’s Christian-Albrechts-University. This street was named in memory of the brothers Justus and Theodor Olshausen. To keep their memory alive, a monument was dedicated to them; erected on June 5th, 2009. This was initiated by Dr. Joachim “Yogi” Reppmann.

In the course of my paper, I’d like to unfold the meaning and the background both of the memorial and the Olshausen brothers, as well as the reasons why their convictions and their actions can serve as an example for today’s students to help build a positive political future of their own country. Above all, there is the question: Why do we need a positive memory of the first fragile blossoms of German democratic history in the 19th century – apart from the important constant reminder of the Nazi catastrophe in German history.