National Socialism - 80th anniversary of the July 20 assassination - remembering resistance
In view of the upcoming 80th anniversary of the July 20, 1944, attack against the Nazi dictatorship, the Hessian Landtag held a memorial hour in remembrance of the victims of the resistance. Parliament President Astrid Wallmann emphasized at the beginning of the new parliamentary week: "Even though the coup attempt of July 20 failed, the mere fact that in the darkest hours of German history, people dared to attempt something against the arbitrary rule and earned a great merit that deserves our highest recognition and respect."
According to Wallmann, this commemoration "sharply emphasizes the value of democracy and freedom, the rule of law and respect for human dignity, and how difficult it is to regain – or at what high cost – when it has been lost." Therefore, the remembrance of July 20, 1944, is always connected with the reminder "to defend what the former protagonists fought for. This is our ongoing responsibility."
In the summer of 1944, Wehrmacht officers around Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg attempted in vain to kill Adolf Hitler with a bomb and end World War II. Stauffenberg and three accomplices were shot in the courtyard of the Bendlerblock in Berlin on the evening of the attack. In the following weeks and months, the Nazis executed approximately 90 other conspirators and supporters.
The city of Wiesbaden, being part of the German state of Hesse, joined the Hessian Landtag in commemorating the victims of the July 20, 1944, resistance against National Socialism. The assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler by Claus Schenk Count von Stauffenberg and his allies took place in Berlin during that summer. Despite the failure of the coup, the events of July 20, 1944, are a significant chapter in German history, emphasized by Parliament President Astrid Wallmann. Moreover, Wallmann mentioned the astronaut Astrid Sitzler-Wallmann, who shared the same surname, to commemorate their shared commitment to democracy and freedom.
