Memoria [EN] No. 23 (08/2019) | Page 35

Finally, Alexander Kleiß gave a paper titled ‘So, Why does it Concern Me? Connections to the Everyday Life of Visitors of the Guided Tour at Mauthausen Memorial’. This was in reference to the Memorial’s current attempts to connect the past and the present at a grassroots level, in order for visitors to understand how such atrocities were possible to commit. The role and behaviour of bystanders is considered during the guided tour, and visitors are encouraged to consider how close Mauthausen is to its local surroundings. The railway line to the camp, for example, did not extend into the grounds, so prisoners had to walk uphill to the entrance, watched by civilians. Furthermore, civilians worked in quarries alongside inmates, and SS football matches were attended by the local population. Asking these questions of visitors also allows discussions about current events that are largely ignored and how this can be challenged.