The OT Project: A Beacon of Light in Remembrance – Vienna's Memorial Exhibition and Light Installations

The OT project is a memorial initiative that illuminates 25 locations in Vienna where synagogues and prayer houses once stood. Through light installations, it aims to remember the victims of the November pogroms of 1938 and raise awareness of Vienna's pre-war Jewish community.

Initiated by the Jewish Museum Vienna and artist Brigitte Kowanz, the OT project utilizes light installations to mark the 25 locations where synagogues and houses of prayer once stood in Vienna. These installations, featuring a mast and light fixture that forms a Star of David when approached, are accompanied by QR codes linking to virtual reconstructions of the former places of worship. Spanning 16 districts, the project serves as a public memorial and a stand against discrimination, highlighting Vienna's significant Jewish history before the November pogroms of 1938. The pogroms, which began on November 9-10, 1938, led to widespread destruction of Jewish businesses, arrests, and the murder of citizens, with nearly all synagogues and prayer houses destroyed. The project aims to recall Vienna's status as having the third largest Jewish community in Europe prior to 1938 and to remember the victims.

Information about specific locations and access to virtual reconstructions is available via QR codes at each installation. Further details can be found on the project's website: www.lichtzeichen.wien.