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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260417T150000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260417T180000
DTSTAMP:20260507T013054
CREATED:20260305T132041Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T131206Z
UID:72260-1776438000-1776448800@stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de
SUMMARY:Radolfzell through the ages - guided tour
DESCRIPTION:Friday\, April 17\, 3 p.m. \nRadolfzell through the ages – guided tour through the town’s history \nThe guided tour through the new permanent exhibition on the town’s history invites you on an interactive journey through time – from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages and the Nazi era. Selected objects provide a lively overview of 1200 years of Radolfzell history: from the fishing village to the trading town\, from the railroad connection in 1863 to industrial development and the formative political decisions of the 20th century. The tour presents the most important highlights from the renovated and existing exhibition rooms and shows how surprising and multi-faceted the history of Radolfzell is.   \nHead: Jacqueline Berl\, City Museum   \nFee: € 9.00 including admission
URL:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/en/veranstaltung/radolfzell-through-the-ages-guided-tour/
LOCATION:City museum in the old city pharmacy\, Seetorstrasse 3\, Radolfzell on Lake Constance\, 78315
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/event-a139e62c-f94a-4566-b3a0-3027a6c5d51f.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260412T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260412T160000
DTSTAMP:20260507T013054
CREATED:20260412T225047Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260412T225047Z
UID:73141-1776002400-1776009600@stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de
SUMMARY:Finissage of the special exhibition "Dictatorship. War. And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 - 1948""
DESCRIPTION:Finissage special exhibition \nAt the finissage of the special exhibition “Dictatorship. War. And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 – 1948”\, museum director Rüdiger Specht will give a final tour of the exhibition on Sunday\, 12.04.2026\, at 2 p.m. and then invites you to look back and talk over an aperitif in the museum. The participation fee is 12.00 euros including admission and aperitif.  Please register by e-mail at museum@radolfzell.de.
URL:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/en/veranstaltung/finissage-of-the-special-exhibition-dictatorship-war-and-afterwards-radolfzell-1933-1948-2/
LOCATION:City museum in the old city pharmacy\, Seetorstrasse 3\, Radolfzell on Lake Constance\, 78315
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/event-a1560a96-f602-4214-8262-6af4b4e9ff0a.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260412T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260412T160000
DTSTAMP:20260507T013055
CREATED:20260319T103048Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T103048Z
UID:72612-1776002400-1776009600@stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de
SUMMARY:Finissage of the special exhibition "Dictatorship. War. And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 - 1948""
DESCRIPTION:Finissage special exhibition \nAt the finissage of the special exhibition “Dictatorship. War. And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 – 1948”\, museum director Rüdiger Specht will give a final tour of the exhibition on Sunday\, 12.04.2026\, at 2 p.m. and then invites you to look back and talk over an aperitif in the museum. The participation fee is 12.00 euros including admission and aperitif.  Please register by e-mail at museum@radolfzell.de.
URL:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/en/veranstaltung/finissage-of-the-special-exhibition-dictatorship-war-and-afterwards-radolfzell-1933-1948/
LOCATION:City museum in the old city pharmacy\, Seetorstrasse 3\, Radolfzell on Lake Constance\, 78315
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/event-a1560a96-f602-4214-8262-6af4b4e9ff0a-2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260409T150000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260409T170000
DTSTAMP:20260507T013055
CREATED:20260319T103051Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T140402Z
UID:72609-1775746800-1775754000@stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de
SUMMARY:Guided tour through the special exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Guided tour through the special exhibition \nThe Second World War came to an end 80 years ago. Countless documents\, books and films are dedicated to this chapter of German history. But what was everyday life like in Radolfzell? What happened on the so-called “home front”? A guided tour through the current special exhibition “Dictatorship. War. And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 – 1948” on 09.04.2026 at 15.00 throws a spotlight on that time in the town on the Untersee. Participation costs 09.00 euros including admission to the museum.
URL:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/en/veranstaltung/guided-tour-through-the-special-exhibition-2/
LOCATION:City museum in the old city pharmacy\, Seetorstrasse 3\, Radolfzell on Lake Constance\, 78315
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/event-a1560bfe-df73-4ad5-aa90-24e2858e2fc8-3.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260326T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260326T213000
DTSTAMP:20260507T013055
CREATED:20260122T151049Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260122T151049Z
UID:71607-1774551600-1774560600@stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de
SUMMARY:Karl Ruby - Catholic resistance as youth work
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, January 15\, 7:00 p.m.   \nKarl Ruby – Catholic resistance as youth work   \nLecture by Hildegard Bibby   \nText follows   \nFee: 5\,00 € \nTo register\, please send an e-mail to museum@radolfzell.de or call 07732 / 81-530 (Thursday to Sunday) is requested. \nVenue: Stadtmuseum Radolfzell
URL:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/en/veranstaltung/karl-ruby-catholic-resistance-as-youth-work/
LOCATION:City museum in the old city pharmacy\, Seetorstrasse 3\, Radolfzell on Lake Constance\, 78315
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/event-a0e593a5-f682-4fdf-bb5e-0c7861c2ec77.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260312T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260312T210000
DTSTAMP:20260507T013055
CREATED:20260121T143728Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260121T143728Z
UID:71576-1773342000-1773349200@stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de
SUMMARY:Propaganda music in the Second World War
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, March 12\, 2026\, 7 p.m.   \nPropaganda music in the Second World War   \nLecture with musical examples with music enthusiast Tobias Baur   \nJazz was banned in National Socialist Germany\, but the Nazi regime used it for propaganda purposes: the big band “Charlie and His Orchestra” was formed by order of Propaganda Minister Goebbels to broadcast swing music with Nazi lyrics to Great Britain via shortwave. Many of the band’s musicians escaped concentration camps or deployment on the front. They allowed themselves to be instrumentalized by the regime in order to survive. But Americans and Britons also used swing music for the same reasons. The popular American big band musician Glenn Miller led the Army Force Orchestra from 1942. This took over the musical part when the BBC broadcast the “Wehrmacht Hour” from Studio London. Some of the protagonists are introduced. Pieces of music and broadcast recordings are played that are rarely heard.          \nFee: 5\,00 € \nTo register\, please send an e-mail to museum@radolfzell.de or call 07732 / 81-530 (Thursday to Sunday) is requested. \nVenue: Stadtmuseum Radolfzell
URL:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/en/veranstaltung/propaganda-music-in-the-second-world-war/
LOCATION:City museum in the old city pharmacy\, Seetorstrasse 3\, Radolfzell on Lake Constance\, 78315
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/event-a0490b26-d5db-4f35-883f-a0cab19a6a5b.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260205T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260205T210000
DTSTAMP:20260507T013055
CREATED:20260121T152458Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260121T152458Z
UID:71586-1770318000-1770325200@stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de
SUMMARY:National Socialism and us - new perspectives on the incomprehensible
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, February 05\, 7:00 p.m.   \nNational Socialism and us – new perspectives on the incomprehensible \nLecture by Dr. Andreas Sommer \nThere has never been so much Hitler\, Norbert Frei stated in 2009\, and nothing has changed in 2025: Numerous current publications\, films\, series or even AI-driven interviews with contemporary witnesses point to the current approach to and handling of National Socialism and the Holocaust. The lecture takes the ‘incomprehensible’ – the Holocaust – as its starting point by presenting new approaches to Holocaust research and discussing their representation in current media. From these perspectives\, questions are posed to the culture of remembrance in our heterogeneous republic. At the heart of this is the question of what all this can and should have to do with ‘us’ as a society and with ‘me’ as an individual. Andreas Sommer has been Professor of History and its Didactics at Weingarten University of Education since April 2025\, where he teaches and researches\, among other things\, the reception and communication of the Holocaust.      \nFee: 5\,00 € \nTo register\, please send an e-mail to museum@radolfzell.de or call 07732 / 81-530 (Thursday to Sunday) is requested. \nVenue: Stadtmuseum Radolfzell
URL:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/en/veranstaltung/national-socialism-and-us-new-perspectives-on-the-incomprehensible/
LOCATION:City museum in the old city pharmacy\, Seetorstrasse 3\, Radolfzell on Lake Constance\, 78315
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/event-a04b06ab-56a2-4c3f-aff8-14b0b17be8ce.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260129T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260129T210000
DTSTAMP:20260507T013055
CREATED:20260121T142911Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260122T151118Z
UID:71552-1769713200-1769720400@stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de
SUMMARY:Barracks\, war memorial and strength through joy - Radolfzell 1933 to 1939
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, January 29\, 7:00 p.m. \n \nBarracks\, war memorial and strength through joy – Radolfzell 1933 – 1939   \nLecture by Sebastian Hausendorf   \nIn his lecture\, historian Sebastian Hausendorf sheds light on how the National Socialists were able to come to power in the small Catholic town of Radolfzell\, the consequences of this and the disastrously amateurish policies pursued by the power-obsessed “old fighter” Eugen Speer as mayor. His successor Josef Jöhle tried to sweep up the shambles he had left behind and pushed ahead with projects such as the barracks\, war memorial\, housing construction and the promotion of tourism. The lecture will provide an overview of the events in Radolfzell from the seizure of power by the National Socialists to the stabilization of local rule up to the threshold of the Second World War.   \nFee: 5\,00 € \nTo register\, please send an e-mail to museum@radolfzell.de or call 07732 / 81-530 (Thursday to Sunday) is requested. \nVenue: Friedrich-Werber-Haus\, Marktplatz 7
URL:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/en/veranstaltung/barracks-war-memorial-and-strength-through-joy-radolfzell-1933-to-1939/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/01/event-9ef4773f-f547-4f07-b93e-1e1e7e2442b0-19.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20250926T150000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260227T163000
DTSTAMP:20260507T013055
CREATED:20260121T142859Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260121T142859Z
UID:71556-1758898800-1772209800@stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de
SUMMARY:Guided tour through the special exhibition
DESCRIPTION:Guided tour through the special exhibition \nThe Second World War came to an end 80 years ago. Countless documents\, books and films are dedicated to this chapter of German history. But what was everyday life like in Radolfzell? What happened on the so-called “home front”? The guided tour through the current special exhibition “Dictatorship. War. And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 – 1948” sheds light on that time in the town on the Untersee.     \nHead: Jacqueline Berl\, City Museum   \nFee: € 9.00 including admission
URL:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/en/veranstaltung/guided-tour-through-the-special-exhibition/
LOCATION:City museum in the old city pharmacy\, Seetorstrasse 3\, Radolfzell on Lake Constance\, 78315
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/02/event-9ef46d4d-54c3-4c8b-9862-cfb106cfed6c.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20250410T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260412T170000
DTSTAMP:20260507T013055
CREATED:20260412T225036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260412T225036Z
UID:73140-1744282800-1776013200@stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de
SUMMARY:Dictatorship. War.  And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 to 1945.
DESCRIPTION:Radolfzell under the swastika \nThe Second World War came to an end 80 years ago. Countless documents\, books and films are dedicated to this chapter of German history. But what was everyday life like in Radolfzell at that time? What happened on the so-called “home front”?    From April 10\, 2025\, the Radolfzell City Museum will give an impression of this with its new special exhibition “Dictatorship. War. And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 – 1948”. It sheds light on the years from 1933 to the immediate post-war period in the town on the Lower Lake.    \nWhat many people don’t know: Radolfzell played a special role at the time due to the stationing of armed SS units in the specially built barracks. The construction of the barracks was the pet project of NSDAP district leader Eugen Speer\, who forced the mayor of Radolfzell\, Otto Blesch\, out of office in 1934.  The project was intended to reduce unemployment in the region and provide the town with long-term economic benefits. On July 31\, 1937\, the 3rd battalion of the SS “Germania” standard battalion moved into the barracks from Singen with 788 men and 39 horses.  The units\, which changed several times until the end of the war\, would later be responsible for crimes and much suffering in the surrounding area.   \nThe Radolfzell SS was actively involved in the social life of the town and presented itself at traditional festivals and events. SS members carried out their swimming training in the Aachbad Singen\, which was built especially for them\, celebrated in the “Sennhof” forest home\, maintained relationships with young women in Radolfzell and with “work maids” in the Reich Labor Service camp in Wahlwies. There is evidence of several marriages between women from Radolfzell and members of the SS.   \nMembers of the SS units stationed in Radolfzell took part in all military operations of their time. In addition\, on November 10\, 1938\, commandos from the Radolfzell SS Verfügungstruppe blew up and burned the synagogues in Constance\, Gailingen\, Randegg and Wangen and mistreated Jewish residents. On 22 October 1940\, the SS Death’s Head Battalion stationed in Radolfzell organized the deportation of the district’s Jewish inhabitants to the Gurs internment camp in the south of France together with the police and the Gestapo.   Only a few survived. \nFrom 1941\, prisoners from Dachau concentration camp worked on the construction of a shooting range for the SS-Unterführererschule Radolfzell (USR). Numerous abuses\, draconian punishments and two arbitrary killings of prisoners are documented. In the final days of the war\, members of the Unterführer School attempted to plunge the entire region into senseless resistance through terror. On April 23\, 1945\, a group of the Radolfzell SS hanged the deputy mayor of Singen\, Karl Bäder\, because he had previously negotiated the surrender of the town of Singen to the French forces.    Another one killed five French soldiers and 16 foreign prisoners of war and forced laborers in Stockach. \nApart from the SS\, events in Radolfzell differed little from other small towns in southern Germany. As everywhere else\, National Socialists ousted the other parties in the disempowered municipal council and controlled club life after the swift “Gleichschaltung”. The exhibition focuses on how young people were captured and indoctrinated by the regime. It was not only schools that educated young people in the ideology\, but also the state youth\, the “Hilterjugend” (HJ)\, which was compulsory from 1939\, and then the Reich Labor Service (RAD)\, which was also compulsory. Numerous loans from the population paint a picture of everyday life between school and “group time”\, collection services for the Winter Relief Organization (WHW) and pre-military education in the RAD.     \nDuring the war years\, the Radolfzell factories were characterized by a shortage of raw materials and thrifty housekeeping on the one hand and efforts to increase productivity on the other. Forced laborers were to replace the conscripted workers and increase production. In total\, over 550 forced laborers worked in Radolfzell businesses.   They came from Russia\, Ukraine\, Poland\, Italy\, France\, Belgium\, Bohemia-Moravia\, Alsace and the Netherlands. An unknown number of forced laborers worked in agriculture. Although under Swiss management\, the Schiesser company also tried to maintain good relations with the regime. In 1940\, the “German Labor Front” (DAF) awarded the Schiesser company the title of “National Socialist Model Company”.    \nRation cards and air raid drills\, field post letters and death notifications in the exhibition provide an insight into the living conditions of the population during the war years. On April 25\, 1945\, the French forces finally reached the town of Radolfzell. A few days earlier\, SS-Hauptsturmführer Kurt Groß had called for unconditional defense in a public speech. Any resistance to this “Führer order” would be punished with death by a summary court martial. After dramatic hours of firefights and hectic negotiations\, vicar Karl Ruby and innkeeper Fritz Volk raised the white flags of surrender.     One of them is now on loan from the cathedral parish and can be admired in the permanent exhibition of the city museum. \nInsights into the immediate post-war period conclude the special exhibition “Dictatorship. War. And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 – 1948”. It was then that the seeds were sown for the two town twinnings that today link Radolfzell with both Amriswil in Switzerland and the southern French town of Istres. Preparations were already underway in Switzerland at the end of the war for aid campaigns in the spirit of neighborly help for southern Germany. As part of the “Ostschweizerische Grenzlandhilfe”\, the Thurgau municipality of Amriswil supported the town of Radolfzell with school meals and aid deliveries.    Borderland aid turned into an informal sponsorship for Radolfzell\, which led to the town twinning between Amriswil and Radolfzell in 1999.   \nIn 1945\, French forces move into the former SS barracks. The first few weeks under French occupation were strict\, but the regulations were soon relaxed. The first rapprochement between the French and Germans in the 1950s developed into the Franco-German Club and finally the town twinning with Istres\, which was sealed 50 years ago with the signing of the twinning documents on July 19\, 1975 in Radolfzell – another anniversary that the exhibition commemorates.   \nThe Radolfzell City Museum is open Thursdays to Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm. For further information please call Tel. 07732 / 81-530 during opening hours or at www.stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de.
URL:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/en/veranstaltung/dictatorship-war-and-afterwards-radolfzell-1933-to-1945-2/
LOCATION:City museum in the old city pharmacy\, Seetorstrasse 3\, Radolfzell on Lake Constance\, 78315
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/event-9e6bd65b-db92-4e94-b6a5-3a29824fbc7b-7.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20250410T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Berlin:20260412T170000
DTSTAMP:20260507T013055
CREATED:20260121T142854Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260319T103158Z
UID:71560-1744282800-1776013200@stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de
SUMMARY:Dictatorship. War.  And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 to 1945.
DESCRIPTION:Radolfzell under the swastika \nThe Second World War came to an end 80 years ago. Countless documents\, books and films are dedicated to this chapter of German history. But what was everyday life like in Radolfzell at that time? What happened on the so-called “home front”?    From April 10\, 2025\, the Radolfzell City Museum will give an impression of this with its new special exhibition “Dictatorship. War. And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 – 1948”. It sheds light on the years from 1933 to the immediate post-war period in the town on Untersee.   \nWhat many people don’t know: Radolfzell played a special role at the time due to the stationing of armed SS units in the specially built barracks. The construction of the barracks was the pet project of NSDAP district leader Eugen Speer\, who forced the mayor of Radolfzell\, Otto Blesch\, out of office in 1934.  The project was intended to reduce unemployment in the region and provide the town with long-term economic benefits. On July 31\, 1937\, the 3rd battalion of the SS “Germania” standard battalion moved into the barracks from Singen with 788 men and 39 horses.  The units\, which changed several times until the end of the war\, would later be responsible for crimes and much suffering in the surrounding area.   \nThe Radolfzell SS was actively involved in the social life of the town and presented itself at traditional festivals and events. SS members carried out their swimming training in the Aachbad Singen\, which was built especially for them\, celebrated in the “Sennhof” forest home\, maintained relationships with young women in Radolfzell and with “work maids” in the Reich Labor Service camp in Wahlwies. There is evidence of several marriages between women from Radolfzell and members of the SS.   \nMembers of the SS units stationed in Radolfzell took part in all military operations of their time. In addition\, on November 10\, 1938\, commandos from the Radolfzell SS Verfügungstruppe blew up and burned the synagogues in Constance\, Gailingen\, Randegg and Wangen and mistreated Jewish residents. On 22 October 1940\, the SS Death’s Head Battalion stationed in Radolfzell organized the deportation of the district’s Jewish inhabitants to the Gurs internment camp in the south of France together with the police and the Gestapo.   Only a few survived. \nFrom 1941\, prisoners from Dachau concentration camp worked on the construction of a shooting range for the SS-Unterführererschule Radolfzell (USR). Numerous abuses\, draconian punishments and two arbitrary killings of prisoners are documented. In the final days of the war\, members of the Unterführer School attempted to plunge the entire region into senseless resistance through terror. On April 23\, 1945\, a group of the Radolfzell SS hanged the deputy mayor of Singen\, Karl Bäder\, because he had previously negotiated the surrender of the town of Singen to the French forces.    Another one killed five French soldiers and 16 foreign prisoners of war and forced laborers in Stockach. \nApart from the SS\, events in Radolfzell differed little from other small towns in southern Germany. As everywhere else\, National Socialists ousted the other parties in the disempowered municipal council and controlled club life after the swift “Gleichschaltung”. The exhibition focuses on how young people were captured and indoctrinated by the regime. It was not only schools that educated young people in the ideology\, but also the state youth\, the “Hilterjugend” (HJ)\, which was compulsory from 1939\, and then the Reich Labor Service (RAD)\, which was also compulsory. Numerous loans from the population paint a picture of everyday life between school and “group time”\, collection services for the Winter Relief Organization (WHW) and pre-military education in the RAD.     \nDuring the war years\, the Radolfzell factories were characterized by a shortage of raw materials and thrifty housekeeping on the one hand and efforts to increase productivity on the other. Forced laborers were to replace the conscripted workers and increase production. In total\, over 550 forced laborers worked in Radolfzell businesses.   They came from Russia\, Ukraine\, Poland\, Italy\, France\, Belgium\, Bohemia-Moravia\, Alsace and the Netherlands. An unknown number of forced laborers worked in agriculture. Although under Swiss management\, the Schiesser company also tried to maintain good relations with the regime. In 1940\, the “German Labor Front” (DAF) awarded the Schiesser company the title of “National Socialist Model Company”.    \nRation cards and air raid drills\, field post letters and death notifications in the exhibition provide an insight into the living conditions of the population during the war years. On April 25\, 1945\, the French forces finally reached the town of Radolfzell. A few days earlier\, SS-Hauptsturmführer Kurt Groß had called for unconditional defense in a public speech. Any resistance to this “Führer order” would be punished with death by a summary court martial. After dramatic hours of firefights and hectic negotiations\, vicar Karl Ruby and innkeeper Fritz Volk raised the white flags of surrender.     One of them is now on loan from the cathedral parish and can be admired in the permanent exhibition of the city museum. \nInsights into the immediate post-war period conclude the special exhibition “Dictatorship. War. And afterwards. Radolfzell 1933 – 1948”. It was then that the seeds were sown for the two town twinnings that today link Radolfzell with both Amriswil in Switzerland and the southern French town of Istres. Preparations were already underway in Switzerland at the end of the war for aid campaigns in the spirit of neighborly help for southern Germany. As part of the “Ostschweizerische Grenzlandhilfe”\, the Thurgau municipality of Amriswil supported the town of Radolfzell with school meals and aid deliveries.    Borderland aid turned into an informal sponsorship for Radolfzell\, which led to the town twinning between Amriswil and Radolfzell in 1999.   \nIn 1945\, French forces move into the former SS barracks. The first few weeks under French occupation were strict\, but the regulations were soon relaxed. The first rapprochement between the French and Germans in the 1950s developed into the Franco-German Club and finally the town twinning with Istres\, which was sealed 50 years ago with the signing of the twinning documents on July 19\, 1975 in Radolfzell – another anniversary that the exhibition commemorates.   \nThe Radolfzell City Museum is open Thursdays to Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm. For further information please call Tel. 07732 / 81-530 during opening hours or at www.stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de.
URL:https://stadtmuseum-radolfzell.de/en/veranstaltung/dictatorship-war-and-afterwards-radolfzell-1933-to-1945/
LOCATION:City museum in the old city pharmacy\, Seetorstrasse 3\, Radolfzell on Lake Constance\, 78315
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