nation to defend the memory and the truth about the holocaust in this way we will express i would hope and responsibility for the future i'm convinced that we will also demonstrate our will to pass on the message and warnings. flowing from auschwitz birkenau to the future generations. signed by the president of the republic of parliament. some of me by ladies and gentlemen may now us that the prime minister of the republic of overland met there was no doubt it's going to take the floor. she got the author learned. on the rubble survivors chancellor. direct. ladies and gentleman who gathered here today. with the.

barbed wire. and buildings pavements and barracks. testify. to the events of the past to what happened during the 2nd world war. what happens to inmates and jews poles so be appealed to. rome and scindia and that time. today. we have fewer and fewer witnesses of those terrible times. we have listened to. their moving testimony. and delivered by mr bott think of who was a small boy. inmate of auschwitz birkenau camp. it is our duty. to make this memory alive. if we lose

memory it is as if a. second time that people who have experienced terrible moments here as if they were hurt again and money 11 now said that lack of memory no memory forgetting. would mean that. he will triumph again. for this reason we have to do our best. to remember those events this is what we can do for those people. we are for doing our best to take good care of such places as this one place is very special to our memory i was deeply moved a few days ago by the history of the place of the. well known. in the center of poland in the strand. region near the town of sculptures to come in now.

there is a place. called mesko. a factory arms factory during the 2nd world war it was a labor camp this was a very special labor camp. because in terrible conditions. many people perished there because of starvation. because of hard labor. because of illnesses as many as 35 people perished that. who knows about this place. and this is not the only place that have been many other places in the territories occupied by nazi germany. and there are dozens perhaps hundreds of such places today i spoke to the chancellor about treblinka when we were traveling here to birkenau i spoke about treblinka place what about 800000 people cherish perished in terrible conditions. this is yet another symbol of those times is.

this of such trips by years to write that he has passed if the evil is as if evils a complete is we can say today that those who are passive. to lies in the history as if it is the cause often office the recall distortions. that is why together we have to act so that the memory of the past is not lost. that is why of the reasons why we have come up with an initiative and their mothers house and goose and camp and what is all stress today. it's a place of a former concentration camp a 2nd inmate died there some citizens of poland's member of intelligence. if we do not want this land to be neglected lands we do not

want those places to be left without a memory. without proper commemoration. testimonies from the past builds our presence. one of such testimonies comes from a small jewish boy who survived the holocaust he said. he didn't think they were and this is it is left after the terrible destruction of my town he said i lived in a forest just so fields around i thought there were not many people who left their living memory that shows the trauma of those times the trauma of those who survived as it has been presented to day by mr bott because the.

survivors. their guest. in the state. declares that it's going to continue caring for the. past. what happens the terrible deeds perpetrated by nazi germany let me say again justice requires this memory. at the same time that has remembered the need for compensation for those who are life but also compensation for the victims this is part of what is so important this is the justice that we are going to take care of thank you very much. some of the points for the but i knew it was a pressure constellation republicans know ladies and gentlemen i'd like to give the floor to the chancellor of the republic of germany on the. figure

prime minister a. minister and prime minister director excellencies but 1st and foremost you know me to just myself especially to those of you guys turk and weaknesses ladies and gentlemen is. for me it is anything but easy to stand here before you and to speak to you. i am filled with deep shame in the face of the barbaric crimes that were committed here by germans crying's that fatima bhutto 35 our imagination that our inconceivable. filled with horror and shock when confronted with the crimes and hers inflicted upon women men and children in this very place one has to foresight and for there are no words to express the sorrow and on mourning.

for the son and the murder. of people here for the many people who a humiliated tortured and murdered here and yet however difficult it may appear in this place that stands like no other for the most atrocious crime against humanity to foresight and must not be our only responds this site places a sign of the obligation to keep the memories alive we have to remember the crimes committed and to name them auschwitz this name stands like a wonderful emotive 1000000 new things to use in europe for the betrayal of all civilised values that was the issue our auschwitz also stands for the genocide of sin t.m. drama in europe for the suffering and the murder of political prisoners and rep. percentages of the polish injected intelligentsia and resistance fighters prisoners from all those from the foam a soviet you from the soviet union and of the countries homosexuals disabled people

and you most of the people from all over europe the suffering inflicted upon the people in auschwitz they died in the guise chambers they suffered hunger and freeze in the cold they suffered epidemics were subjected to talk to 6 per student medical experiments they were forced to work until totally exhausted the horrors that happened here on staff and i will i cannot be grasped by one in the camp complex of auschwitz alone a minimum of 1510000 people the majority of whom were choose with systematically medicine coked out each and every one had a name. his and her dignity was inviolable they have a family and a history that deputation already they were crammed into cattle bag and the procedure they underwent upon arrival a dr of the so-called selection at the ram they all aimed to the human eyes these human beings to strip them of their dignity and individuality. officially these

plays as part of us could well cultural heritage is cold today auschwitz birkenau german nazi concentration addict extermination camp 942945 these full name is important. to note it is on polish territory but in october 1989 auschwitz was an annex to part of the german high it was a german extermination camp operated by germans and i place value on stressing this fact it is important that we clearly identify the perpetrators we germans oh that is to the victims and we owe it to ourselves. to keep alive the memory of the crimes. need to identify the perpetrators and to commemorate the victims in a dignified manner that is our enduring responsibility it is not open to negotiation and it is an integral part and with forever be an integral part of our

coming tree acknowledging that christiane's ability is an integral part of our national identity as 7 perception as an enlightened and liberal society as a democracy where rule of law reigns. once again jewish life is flourishing in germany we are linked to israel through many thought and friendly ties that is anything to take and to be taken for granted it is a great gift akin to america. but it cannot undo the forest that happened it cannot bring back to life the jews that moved it. there will forever be an empty space in our society. 70 years ago the basically all germany's constitution came into force it was influenced by the lessons from the horrors of our past however we are also aware of the fact that man's inviolable dignity freedom democracy and rule of law however precious these

values may be very vulnerable and fragile indeed. this is why we have touch to time and again strengthen these fundamental values improve them protect them and defend them in our everyday life in our everyday interaction but also in the actions of the government and in political discourse. these days this is more than just rhetoric these days it is important that we state this in an unequivocal manner because what we are experiencing of late is in the lambing level of racism increasing intolerance a wave of hate crimes. we are witnessing and experiencing an attack on the fundamental values of liberal democracy and a very dangerous his. darker revisionism that serves a was tentative that is directed against specific groups. and you can do with focusing our attention especially on anti-semitism which poses

a threat to jewish life in germany in europe and beyond and of the more clear and unequivocal do we have to state that we will not tolerate any form of anti-semitism everyone ought to feel safe and at home in germany and it europe. auschwitz more than any other site. reminds us and urges us and places us on that the obligation each and every one of us to be figurative and to preserve humanity and to protect our neighbors dignity. because it is as primo levi once said who was born 100 years ago in touraine who survived auschwitz as a forced labor and later it's at root it happened therefore it can happen again. and of code and that is why we must not close our eyes and ears when people are being thoroughly abused humiliated or isolated we have to stand up and take each year with and hopefully disagree with those queenside other people to hatred and

promote prejudices against people of a different faith or a different origin and part in parcel of the responsibility that the bear is remembrance we must never forget we cannot draw a line nor can we allow a trivialization of the holocaust or to use it to put it in the words of the auschwitz survivor and former president of the international affairs committee nor who and i quote memory is like water it is vitally important and it finds a path of its own seeking new spaces making its way towards other people it does not have an expiry date and it is and cannot be declared officially declared as dealt with or completed and of quote the. this memory that is vitally important seeks and finds a path of its own as north to put it is something that we go in a special way to many of the contemporary witnesses the survivors as i am immensely

pleased to be able to welcome some of them amongst us today it was hugh who over the past years have time and again spoken to us and shared your experiences with us who can imagine the strength it takes to once again and time and again recall these pace in full if spirit is or even to return to this very place. you are sharing the knowledge about your life stories with younger people for them to learn and use summon the courage and the strength for reconciliation that is genuine human greatness and we mentally grateful that we may learn from you and may listen to you. very soon the liberation of auschwitz will be 75 years it will have taken place 75 years ago fewer and fewer people can tell us. about their experiences from that period in time and that was the reason why the

right end of it care money of one's aptly said and i quote for any men marry to be etched into our hearts to which the memorials stumbling blocks and rituals of remembrance may refer it will be even more important for future generations to go and see those places with their own eyes by gemini crushed men's dignity to travel to those countries that germany drone do in blunt and of clothes. and in many places the perpetrators for trying to cover have tried to cover up their tracks such as 6 at the extermination camps such as bill better check sobibor treblinka mally tossed in it's been 1000 other places in. in europe and jews cindy and hamas and many other people even whole villages communities when it was. here in auschwitz the s. s.

and their henchmen were not successful in covering up their tracks this memorial bears testimony and we must preserve the testimony of those who visit with its and see the watch towers and the bop why the barracks and prison sounds the remains of the gas chambers and crematoria would be haunted by the memory on you. as come money put it it will forever be etched into their hands 10 years ago the form of polish foreign minister where to shove but he who himself was imprisoned in auschwitz initiated the foundation of the auschwitz birkenau foundation to me is to see even to ski on i would like to thank you and all those who've worked in this foundation have dedicated themselves to preserving this memorial and this center for documentation and i think all those who have participated in the project of

restoration and conservation you and i have shown great engagement and you're working hard to make sure that this place continues to bear witness brick barracks were repaired and reinforced so as to preserve them for the future excavation where it was carried out support will step in its erected tents but set up clothes and positions the few belongings of the victims will be stored in prison and. the conservation work and the putative plans of course require much more full foundation coverage can capital for the next 25 years and germany will make a substantial contribution we took a decision yesterday together with the minister presidents of the various federal end of germany thanks to the efforts of the foundation and the many international tour guides this memory has become a place of a. and educating people a place of reflection and acknowledgement as sites a place that sends out the message never again i mean mentally grateful for that

but nothing nothing we do can bring back the people who were murdered here nothing can undo these unprecedented crimes these crimes are and continue to be part of germany's history and this is a story a history that has to be told time and again so as to ensure that we remain vigilant to intervene at a very early stage to ensure that these crimes are not repeated to ensure that we fight racism and anti-semitism stand up to it with dedication and determination great anti-semitism in all its despicable forms this history this has to be shared this story has to be told so as to honor the memory of the dignity of each and every individual and honor the memory of the victims even members and commemorate the people who came from various countries of europe to auschwitz and were deported then we remember and commemorate in this very a pace that many of the coalition victims majority of them were political prisoners for whom that. prison camp the concentration can have 1st been set up we

remember and commemorate the 6000000 murdered jews and the roughly 1000000 jews that were murdered in auschwitz birkenau we remember and commemorate the city and almost were deported tortured and murdered remember and commemorate the victims of mass executions by firing squad we remember and commemorate those who were deported to get has those who were hiding in fear for their lives those who had to flee their homes we remember income or all of those who lost everything their families and their friends their home country and their family home their hopes and their plans their trust and that joy at being a lie and their dignity. we remember and commemorate. to those who kept wandering around for years even after the war had ended and those who had to wait for a long time in camps for displaced persons those who survived had been severely

marked by the horrors that they had experienced in her memory as margaret friedland out root and i quote they 1st had to learn once again that they were human beings human beings that ball in name and of crowed many of them asked themselves the question why me why did i say why i had by a friend not my little sister why not my best friend why not my very own mother and . many of them for very long time. if it all were able to find out how and where their close relatives have been murdered. these wounds will never heal. their more grateful i am to everyone who has summoned the courage and strength to speak about their recollections and experiences to share the pain and the recollections in order to contribute to reconciliation i bow my head

before these people i bow my had before they're with victims of the sure oh my have before their families i thank you very much for allowing me to be with you today. from the rebuys to 4 ladies and gentleman i would like to give the floor to all dr purpose of his skill who is the manager of the oceans become a museum and the guardian of the memorial. excellence ease ladies and gentlemen my dear dear gusts. as we try to reach out to the new generations. and try to pass undeserved. recalled memory. what meets in auschwitz in student type of a phone to city there is this amazing event to city and genuity of words.

as we heard them spoken from the gun battle you can't ski. but there is this other and this is of a memorial. and these too often to cities need one another in an extraordinary manner. if you read the book. the memoirs the testament it's. a victim of this county and then if you come and see this place then you get to understand more if you saw this plays and then reppert. then you were to read more out of the same book. and this was really the live motif that i had this 10 years ago. where we decided that we need to find a solution to preserve as much as possible from things that were not here to last that they were not build with any intention to allow us to in

a way we realize how important it is for the post-war europe and for the post world war. and this significance were not passed or diminish after 2 or 3 generations have passed this was the experience that post-war world was created on . at the beginning that many people believed that we would be able to have this international fund for one memory or memory all sight but slowly and surely some people and i can see their faces here today at least some of them so they sort of warmed into that idea and joined again i'd like to use this opportunity to thank you so much for this this is the 1st site in the. world that has been so taken care of thanks to 38 countries. there were 2 ideas that were leading us since the very beginning. these were 2 ideas that lay

this foundations for the fund 1st. we understood to the security and safety was more important than profit because we simply wanted to make sure that just talk and be used for many years to help preserve this place and then the 2nd rule is that we wanted to be completely transparent that's why we meet with the representatives of these $38.00 donor states one show year we present all the documents we present all of the audits we assess and evaluate what has already been conserve and preserve we communicate our priorities and so on over the recent 10 years these 2 foundations. have managed to enable. a lot of trust and confidence among these 338 states trust and confidence that leads me hopeful about the future

that the future that we will lead to our children and the children of our children at the beginning we thought that the fund itself would have to be $125000000.00 euro so that we can have $5000000.00 euro every year for the preservation and conservation this was still before the crisis that struck europe in 20092 years ago we presented. to the $38.00 states the alternative the concept idea we increasing vestment risk or we have to increase the front took it up because time will not wait for us and the response we got from germany was the 1st response we received and i'm very grateful for this thank you. because this is what we do for our common future and for our mutual future. ladies and gentlemen. i am fully convinced that de corp and this mutual trust

that we bear that we build on the global scale. ones the fund becomes fully of fish only once all the conservation works get into a divide rhythm or so i'm foodie convinced that this mutual trust and confidence and transparency or enable us to build even more perhaps educational projects and so the voice of this place will be better hurt and will try to the world in a brave and and courageous world because we are living in the world that changes so fast and is becoming more and more difficult we do not have that many other key to guide us then memory and reconsideration thank you very much. one of you guys for brushing your straw ladies and gentlemen if i can find a moment of your attention may i now ask the chancellor of germany i'm gona mirka

and mother was not a bit scared not of it's good that prime minister of poland the sign in the memorial book may i ask of their former inmates and the survivors to join us for a meeting with uncle america and prime minister. as well as dr to the ski as for the rest of the guests may i ask you to. leave their rooms in the car and way i'd like to thank you very much for joining us to discuss my motivation thank you so much. you've been watching live coverage of the morning ceremonies at the auschwitz birkenau concentration and extermination camps where german chancellor angela merkel's historic visit to the site the site was the nazis largest death camp in the 2nd world war more than a 1000000 people most of them jews fos to this gates to their deaths america's

visit marks the 10th anniversary of the foundation that deserves the auschwitz memorial and the german government has is donating 60000000 euros to head with preservation and conservation of the site. now watching those ceremonies with me was the john barrick and in the studio as well as thomas sparrow who is at the site in auschwitz let me start with you 1st john what were your initial impressions of these memorial ceremony as vent the tickly investments to chancellor thompson lamech i had to say when i was most moved i suppose like most people by mr butler cops is words. extraordinary i was working out trying to do the arithmetic there and working out that he must be i think 88 to 89 years old an extraordinary strength an extraordinary by teletype for a man of that age and you know it's one of things i was a few years ago in auschwitz myself. for

a commemoration ceremony and had the privilege of meeting a number of survivors and i was astonished i shouldn't have been but i was astonished at the strength of all these people that something under the magical mention but of course when one realizes people who survived this enormities they must have been extraordinary people who survived and i think that is something that obviously touched on the americans he referred to it specifically said she was very humbled by. by the strength that the people showed the survivors have shown in sharing their memories i think the 2nd aspect that came out of that was something it's not simply a question of a kind of nostalgia or. kind of a shame that she also mentioned she failed as a german for the past but that it's also her speech at sea for so focused on the present current relevance of this memory it's not a question simply of remembering for the sake of remembering it's also remembering so that as she said herself.