Fritz Flesch in Bielefeld: A moving search for traces of courage and survival
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Fritz Flesch: A survival story that leaves questions unanswered
On November 2, 2026, the Dornberg district library invites you to an urgent search for traces about Fritz Flesch. The focus is on the extraordinary story of a Jewish man with a disability who survived the Nazi persecution. The event combines biographical research, memory culture, and local history into a literary-shaped lecture on courage in dark times.
Between persecution and survival
Fritz Flesch was admitted to Bethel at the age of 20 in 1930 and was sterilized there against his will. From 1939, he lived with the foster family of Wilhelm and Marianne Rahn until the 1980s. His biography points to the brutal exclusion and disenfranchisement of Jewish people during the Nazi era - and at the same time to the difficult question of under what circumstances his survival became possible.
A trace search with archival material and correspondence
The event approaches Fritz Flesch's life from various perspectives. Elaborations, correspondence, and archival material make historical contexts visible. Memories of Fritz Flesch as a musician in Dornberg expand the research with a personal and cultural dimension. Thus, a multifaceted portrait emerges that not only documents data but also makes a person visible in their social environment.
Memory culture in Bielefeld
The search for traces is related to the laying of a Stolperstein for Fritz Flesch on October 15, 2026, on Mönkebergstraße in Hoberge-Uerentrup. The event format leads from the individual fate to the history of Jewish residents of Bethel and further into the present of local memory culture.
Reading atmosphere and historical dialogue
A concentrated literary experience arises in the Dornberg district library: language, documents, and memories open up a space for careful observation. The author encounter in a broader sense - as an encounter with a researched life story - connects historical expertise with an immediate, intimate atmosphere. The focus is on narrative accuracy, cultural memory, and the question of how biographies can be preserved against forgetting.
Conclusion: Keeping history alive together
Visitors can expect a well-founded event about Fritz Flesch, the Rahn family, and the history of Jewish life in Bethel and Dornberg. The search for traces shows how archival material, letters, and personal memories unlock a past living world. Admission is free; donations are welcome. Those who want to experience memory culture in Bielefeld directly will find an important occasion for listening, reflecting, and collective remembering.
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