GERMANY — Carmel resident Aliza Shalit made a special journey to Dortmund, Germany, to attend the unveiling of a mural honoring her great-grandfather, Paul Hirsch.
Paul was the first and only Jewish mayor of Dortmund from 1918 to 1933.
He was forced out of office when the Nazis rose to power, and his name was virtually erased from the city’s history books.
“One of the thoughts we all felt and talked about is how can someone with so much influence be erased and forgotten? No one knew about him,” Shalit said.
Hirsch and his wife died under Nazi rule, but Shalit's grandmother and her sister were able to flee abroad.
Shalit says her family felt as if the ceremony was bittersweet.
“He’s not here to see it, he never got any recognition later in life. His daughters never got to see it,” Shalit said. “We are incredibly proud, thankful and privileged to be able to witness his name finally be brought to the forefront.”
Shalit witnessed the mural unveiling with her parents, two sisters and niece.
