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Designs for Trastsyanets death camp memorials to be discussed at conference in Minsk

Proposed designs for memorials to commemorate thousands of people executed by Nazis in the Trastsyanets death camp near Minsk will be discussed at an international conference to be held in the Belarusian capital on March 23 and 24.

According to the German embassy in Minsk, the conference has been organized on the initiative of the Johannes Rau International Center for Education and Exchange (IBB Minsk) and IBB Dortmund, as well as an Austrian NGO working to commemorate the death camp's victims.

An estimated 206,500 people are believed to have been slain in the camp in the 1940s.

The Minsk authorities have allocated land plots occupying some 100 hectares (247 acres) for Trastyanets memorials. Construction work is expected to begin at one of the sites this year. Prominent architect Leanid Levin is working on a design for a memorial at a separate site. However, even if the design is approved, a source of funding will have to be found for the project.

The two memorials' designs will be presented at the conference by their authors. //BelaPAN