Since the 1990s, discussions have taken place on both sides of the Rhine about re-establishing a continuous railway connection between Freiburg and Colmar. The project was formalised in the 2019 Aachen Treaty between Germany and France, and planning has been steadily progressing.

For the Blue House, the key question is how and where to publicly commemorate the deportation of Baden’s Jewish population.

Whether or not a new railway bridge is built has no bearing on the work of the Memorial project. The submissions and ideas collected are not intended as a blueprint for art associated with the construction of such a bridge. Instead, they will form part of a broader remembrance initiative that will continue beyond the project’s official conclusion in December 2025.

The artist Sigrid Sigurdsson has learned about the Blue House’s plans and has agreed to act as patron for the Memorial sub-project. Her concept of an “imaginary bridge,” a project for active and participatory remembrance of regional history and the history of the railway bridge at Breisach, will be reviewed, discussed, and further developed by a dedicated project group.

A cross-border and multidisciplinary ideas competition is currently being prepared. This call is open to artists, schools, and both individuals and groups with an interest in the project. Digital submissions will be publicly presented in October 2025 to mark the 85th anniversary of the deportation of Jewish people from southwestern Germany to Gurs.