On the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, representatives of the IKG, Roma, government and parliamentary humanist parties honored the victims.
This year, January 27th marks the 78th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkena concentration and extermination camp since 1945 by the Red Army. More than a million people were murdered in this place alone: Jews, Sintizze and Romanja, as well as homosexuals, politically persecuted people and many other groups. More than six million Jews were victims of anti-Semitism and National Socialist racism.
Celebrate and exhort politicians
“Today we commemorate the millions of victims of the Nazi regime. We are going to name them, tell their stories, we are going to transmit them to the next generations. We must not fail to be aware of the crimes of the Shoah. We must not stop to remember, ” says the president of the NEOS Beate Meinl Reisinger on Friday.
She added: “In this awareness, we have to be vigilant outside of historical responsibility. ‘Never again’ is an order to ourselves and not a mere plea. ‘Never again’ means taking responsibility – rejecting anti-Semitic and inhumane people in our society clearly names trends of all kinds and never accepts them!”
Also Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen said: “Commemorating the Holocaust and preserving the memory of millions of people who were displaced, tortured and murdered by the Nazis is our moral obligation. Because we must never allow such atrocities to become possible again. Never again should contempt for human beings, scapegoating and violence be used as political instruments. Never!”
There is no place for anti-Semitism
Chancellor Karl Nehammer condemns all forms of anti-Semitism: “78 years ago, on this day, the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp was liberated. Today we commemorate the millions of people who were brutally murdered in the Shoah. Austria has a special historical responsibility when it comes to remembering the victims of the Nazi regime’s unimaginable atrocities. This is a reminder and a mandate to never forget this darkest chapter in our history and to resolutely combat all forms of anti-Semitism. That is our responsibility to society as a whole.”
We remember!
Parliament commemorates them with a broad program and participation in the international initiative #We remember. Parliamentarians will tell the life stories of Holocaust victims and celebrate them in a personal way. A huge banner on the facade of parliament draws attention to the campaign.
No tolerance for hate and exclusion
“THE #WeRemember initiative reminds people that the Holocaust was one of the worst crimes in history and that millions of innocent people were murdered because of hatred and exclusion”, said the President of the National Council, Wolfgang Sobotka, on the occasion of today’s commemoration. participating in the #WeRemember campaign by showing his solidarity with the victims of the Shoah and showing his commitment to a future of tolerance.It is particularly important for him to keep the memory of the victims alive, emphasized Sobotka.
Start for “Souvenir in the living room”
The initiative also starts today on the day of the commemoration “Zikaron BaSalon – Celebration in the Living Room” in Austria. This aims to motivate citizens to commemorate the Holocaust in their living rooms in the close circle of their family and friends in exchange for eyewitnesses or their descendants. Hundreds of thousands of such meetings are held annually around the world and the concept has proven itself internationally. National Council President Sobotka, who hosted a memorial evening with contemporary witness Volvi (Viktor) Klein in his office this week, is impressed by the initiative, saying it allows for “a unique exchange”.
Award is presented in Parliament
After today’s kick-off, the initiative intends to establish itself in Austria together with the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler. In 2021, the initiative was among the top ten submissions for the Simon Wiesenthal Prize. The following year, she was nominated again, this time for the main prize, awarded in March 13, 2023 in Parliament.
Future without contemporary witnesses?
18 years ago, the United Nations established January 27 as the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust. But there are fewer and fewer eyewitnesses who can tell firsthand about “at that time”. It is even more important not to forget, remember and warn about the Do not repeat past atrocities under any circumstances.
Browsing account, ie time27.01.2023, 22:37| Act: 01/28/2023, 08:31