The November pogroms of 1938 marked a decisive event, as violence against Jewish people was ordered by official authorities for the first time, and parts of the state apparatus as well as segments of the population carried out massive attacks against Jewish citizens in the streets. In Graz, not only was the synagogue set on fire; like many other Jews, the then Chief Rabbi David Herzog was taken from his apartment at night, abused in public, and repeatedly threatened with death.
As an artist working across a wide range of media, Catrin Bolt chose text as the medium for her contemporary memorial. Herzog’s account was applied by her—just as in 2013, when it was first realized as a temporary project—along the very route along which he was driven on foot through the city: starting from his former residence at Radetzkystraße 8 to Griesplatz, presented as a running text on the sidewalks.
