Names of 25,843 WWII deportees from Kazerne Dossin recorded in 'Every Name Counts' project

After two and a half years, Kazerne Dossin in Mechelen has finished an extensive project to record the names of every individual deported from the site during World War II. The initiative, titled 'Every Name Counts,' involved 25,843 unique participants, each reading aloud the name of one of the 25,843 people sent to concentration and extermination camps.

The project's core aim is to restore the identity of Holocaust victims, many of whom had their names replaced by numbers. "This is the place where 80 years ago their name was erased and replaced by a number," explained Awa-Alice Ba of Kazerne Dossin. "With this project, we can finally give back their names to over 25,000 Jews, Sinti, and Roma."

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This is the place where 80 years ago their name was erased and replaced by a number. With this project, we can finally give back their names to over 25,000 Jews, Sinti, and Roma.

For many participants, the experience was deeply emotional, bringing history closer and fostering a connection with the deportees. "For many people, it was an emotional moment. History suddenly comes close and that touches you," Ba shared. "At the same time, there was also a positive feeling because, after so many years, you can do something back for the victims."

Starting in late October, the 50 hours of recorded audio, featuring names spoken in various languages, will be played continuously within the memorial. To conclude the project, the museum is also launching a photo exhibition in collaboration with Lieve Blancquaert. This exhibition will juxtapose historical portraits of deportees with contemporary portraits of the project's participants, further bridging the past and present.

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For many people, it was an emotional moment. History suddenly comes close and that touches you. At the same time, there was also a positive feeling because, after so many years, you can do something back for the victims.