Role in the Nazi era - City of Donauwörth distances itself from honorary citizen Werner Egk
The city of Donauwörth distances itself from the controversial composer and honorary citizen Werner Egk, long debated due to his role during the NS era. The city council of the north Swabian city passed a resolution on Thursday evening to handle the commemoration of Egk (1901-1983) more differentiatedly in the future.
The honorary citizenship, which was conferred upon him in 1971, should not be explicitly revoked, according to the council statement. Since it had expired with his death, it is stated. However, the status of the Egk grave as an honorary grave should be revoked. Additionally, the Werner-Egk-Culture Prize of the city should no longer be awarded, and the music school of the city should be renamed. The Werner-Egk-Encounter Place, a small museum, should be revised.
The statement, which also includes further measures, was passed with a large majority in the communal parliament. The Greens opposed it, as they considered the changes not far-reaching enough.
A new study on Egk revealed that the composer born in a Donauwörther district was an anti-Semite and expressed himself accordingly. Moreover, he had already had contacts in the 1920s with people who held important positions during the Nazi dictatorship from 1933. "It can be concluded overall: Egk was influenced by racist, anti-Semitic thought patterns and participated in exclusion and defamation with his musical works and publications," summarized music scientist Anna Kreszentia Schamberger the result of her study.
Egk made a career during the NS era and provided music for the Olympics, which were misused by the Nazis in 1936. Until now, he was only seen as an opportunistic exploiter and not as a Nazi ideologue. After the war, Egk continued to compose and was further revered as an artist in Germany.
The city of Augsburg, where a primary school is named after Egk, had already dealt with new insights about the composer. The Augsburg city council then decided in May to rename the school. The name change is scheduled to take effect in the coming school year 2024/25.
Werner Egk Encounter Place
- Despite being a honorary citizen of Donauwörth, Werner Egk's controversial role during the NS era has led several municipalities in Bavaria, such as Donauwörth and Augsburg, to reevaluate and revise their celebrations of his life and work.
- As part of its resolution to handle the commemoration of Werner Egk more differentially, the city of Donauwörth has decided to revoke the status of his grave as an honorary grave and cease the Werner-Egk-Culture Prize.
- The history of Donauwörth and other municipalities in Bavaria has been marked by the role of notable figures like Werner Egk, whose relationship with Nazi Germany and its ideology is now being reexamined, leading to changes in how they are honored in public spaces and events.
