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Downtown in Ingolstadt the is a square whose farther border is occupied by a Franciscan church that was built in the 14th century. And on the right side of its façade you will find a high stone with the inscription described here.
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Franciscan church |
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Stone with the inscription for the expellees |
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Photos: Hans-Rudolf Hower, 2011 |
Inscription
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Comment
Prachatice in the former Sudetenland |
This inscription expresses the contradictory feelings of many ethnic Germans that had been living in the Bohemian Forest (Czech: Šumava) for many centuries and were expropriated and expelled immediately after World War II. On the one side they are still mourning for those of their relatives, friends, and compatriots that died during the flight and for the home country they lost, but on the other side they know that there would be no possibility of returning to their former situation without creating new injustice and breaking worldwide peace arrangements.
As you see in our inscription, German expellees from the former Sudetenland insist on their quality of expellees (Vertriebene) instead of refugees (Flüchtlinge) because instead of fleeing (on their own wills) they were expelled (on the Czechs' wills).
For a long time German expellees associations like the one mentioned in our inscription have not had a clear position when damning the Beneš decrees and calling for reparations. This is one of the reasons why the reconciliation between Germans and Czechs has been so difficult for a long time.
Johann Nepomuk Neumann (1811 - 1860) was beatified in 1886 and canonized in 1977. He had been a very successful bishop in Philadelphia (US) but he had not left Prachatice and his country entirely on his own will. He had studied Roman catholic theology but had not been admitted to ordination to the priesthood because there were too many priests in the region. Nowadays Prachatice expellees seem to consider him not only as a compatriot but also as a "brother in expulsion" who - as a saint - will certainly intervene in their favor.
After World War II (as after other big catastrophes), many town partnerships were founded, especially between West German and Eastern towns. These were no real twinnings but rather unequal partnerships where the stronger partner tried to help the other one if necessary.
If you have any more information, please tell us! Thank you very much indeed!
Bibliography
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Author / Title / Subject |
Notes |
Info / Purchase |
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Munich, Bavaria and the Black Forest |
A guide to southern Germany. |
amazon.de/at: English. amazon.es: English. amazon.fr: English. amazon.it: English. |
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Bavaria |
A specialized guide to Bavaria. |
amazon.de/at: English. amazon.es: English. amazon.fr: English. amazon.it: English. |
Internet
Please be aware of our legal reservation concerning any Internet reference.
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Address / Owner |
Content / Subjects |
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The City |
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Official site (German language). |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on the city of Ingolstadt. |
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By Google Maps. |
Zoomable city map of Ingolstadt. |
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A b o u t t h e I n s c r i p t i o n |
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Franziskanerkirche (Ingolstadt) In the German Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on the Franciscan church of Ingolstadt, in front of which you will find our inscription. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on the mountainous Czech regions formerly called Sudetes, with historical hints on the evolution of this geographic name that has often been misused for political reasons. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on the Czech regions having at least a minority of German inhabitants in the thirties of the 20th century. These regions were occupied and annexed by Nazi Germany after the Munich agreement. The article contains an excellent map of the Sudetenland. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on this mountainous Czech region near the German frontier, with historical hints on the evolution of this geographic name in the Czech Republic and in Germany. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on this mountainous Czech region near the German frontier and north-west of the Bohemian Forest (German sense), with historical hints on the evolution of this geographic name in the Czech Republic and in Germany. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on this Czech town near the Bohemian Forest (German sense). This article does not even mention the dramatic historical evolution that took place in the first half of the 20th century. For these details, see the German Wikipedia. |
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In the German Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on this Czech town near the Bohemian Forest (German sense). This article briefly mentions the dramatic historical evolution that took place in the first half of the 20th century. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on this agreement that nowadays is being widely regarded as a failed act of appeasement toward Nazi Germany. Nazi Germany used this agreement to annex big parts of Bohemia - and finally whole Bohemia - taking the local majority or even minority of German inhabitants as a pretext. |
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In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on those decrees that expropriated and expelled more than a million ethnic Germans. |
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Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia In the English Wikipedia. |
Detailed encyclopaedic article on the mass expulsions of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia after World War II. |
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Böhmerwaldheimatkreis Prachatitz e.V. Website of the Prachatice Displaced Persons' Association (German language). |
Self-presentation: "Diese Internetseite ist für alle ehemaligen Bewohner den Landkreises Prachatitz, deren nachfolgende Generationen und für alle, die sich für den Böhmerwald interessieren, gedacht. Hier können Sie sich über die verloren gegangene Heimat der vertriebenen Landsleute informieren, eventuell Verwandte finden, Bücher bestellen oder einfach nur stöbern." (This site is destined to all former inhabitants of the district of Prachatitz, to their subsequent generations, and all those who are interested in the Bohemian Forest. Here you can get information on the displaced compatriots' lost home country, possibly find relatives, order books, or simply nose about.) |
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In the German Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on this canonized US bishop coming from Prachatice. |
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In the German Wikipedia. |
Encyclopaedic article on the phenomenon of sister cities. According to our inscription, Ingolstadt is the sister city of Prachatice. |
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Holidays in Ingolstadt? Excellent idea! But where to stay? |
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Whether you are looking for a room, an apartment, a hotel, a guest house,
or any other accommodation, |
Arrival by Public Transport
For the arrival in Ingolstadt, see Inscriptions of Ingolstadt.
Looking at the front of the Old Cityhall (Altes Rathaus), take the Moritzstraße on the left of the cityhall up to Ludwigstraße / Theresienstraße, where you turn to the left and immediately to the right, into the small street named Am Stein. After crossing two streets the name of Am Stein will change to Harderstraße and you will see the Franciscan church (Franziskanerkirche) on the right, on the other side of a square. Our inscription stands on the right side of the church's façade.
Indications concerning the arrival correspond to our personal knowledge or even experience, but we cannot assume any responsibility for their rightness. When you are reading this page, things may have changed in reality.
Hans-Rudolf Hower, 2012
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Last updated: April 4, 2016
