A Tribute To Joseph Konrad

A Tribute to Joseph Konrad by artist John Lewis was located in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It honors the memory of Firefighter Joseph L. Konrad Jr. Konrad was killed on June 13th 1984, when he and five other firefighters went back into a just-extinguished house fire at 2002 Tulip Street to search for an elderly woman thought to be trapped in the building. While in the basement, a loud noise was heard and the first and second floors collapsed into the cellar, trapping all beneath the rubble. For two and a half hours, up to twenty rescuers worked with quiet determination to reach their brothers in the still smoldering debris. Five men made it out; Konrad was just too far away to be reached in time. There was no one in the building at the time of the fire. Konrad left behind his wife and five young children, four boys and a girl. Three of Konrad’s sons became Philadelphia Firefighters. Firefighters from all over Philadelphia, from the stations that responded to the call that day, past and present members of Engine Company # 25, family, friends and supporters of the Park and Mural were in attendance at the mural’s dedication, twenty years after his death. Fire Trucks surrounded the Park and bagpipers played to help mark the occasion.

The mural depicts a portrait of Joseph Konrad, smiling and in uniform, facing to his left, against the backdrop of an American flag waving in the wind. Above the portrait, the words “In Loving Memory” are written in script. Konrad stands next to a fire engine labeled Engine Company 25. A Dalmatian dog stands next to the fire truck. The mural was located across from Konrad Park.

Location Note: Mural no longer on view at this location (covered by new construction ca. 2016).