Hiroshima memorial stone (Richard-Wagner-Platz)

The Hiroshima memorial stone stands in the Richard-Wagner-Park in Ottakring, the 16th district of Vienna. The park surrounds the Richard-Wagner-Platz and is bordered by the district’s town hall. The stone itself is built in three concrete and granite sections, each turned slightly from the one below. The memorial was dedicated in 2009 by the mayors of Vienna and Hiroshima together with Sadako Sasaki’s brother. It recalls the 1945 atomic bombing and the book ‘Sadako will live’ by Karl Bruckner, who grew up in Ottakring. The central block is a piece of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, known as the Atomic Bomb Dome, which was destroyed in the blast. Visitors see a large concrete base topped by a smaller granite block bearing four inscribed plaques in German and Japanese. On the upright stone above, the word ‘Weltfriede’ is cut in German and Japanese Kanji. At the very top a metal crane figure symbolises peace. The park’s quiet paths and benches let people pause beside the memorial.