This site about the history of the Coburg Jews would not have come about without Rolf Schilling. The exhibition and the realization of the website were close to his heart. Rolf was the team’s engine. He died shortly before publication on August 8, 2020.
I knew Rolf Schilling for a long time. We met in the 80s in the “Eine Welt Treff” (One World Centre) in Kronach. Later he was my supervisor in the practical semesters of my studies, a source of inspiration for further musical training, my daughter’s piano teacher, a musician in our house concerts, and much more.
In all this, he remained endearingly old-fashioned and cultivated a calculated pessimism. The episode in the town square of Coburg where he was mistaken for a citizen of the GDR by passersby after the border opening still makes me chuckle. Fashion “just wasn’t his thing”.
But he was persistently idealistic and upheld the values of an open, just world in solidarity. It was important to him not to forget what humans can do to each other. This website exists thanks to his commitment. Sad that he was not able to witness its completion.
Stefan Kornherr
(Webmaster coburger-juden.de)
