itself. 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 until america would mention it 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 she 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 a kind of the shame that she also mentioned she felt as a german for the past but that it's also her speech actually 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 the this should be

a place that sends out the message never again. and. the entire interior ministries of ministers of of the german federal states are meeting right now to discuss ways of combating hate speech on the internet that's one of the concrete ways in which germany is trying to respond not only by getting the 60000000 euro as was her to this fund in fact each of the speakers we heard today talked about the importance of memory and the importance of keeping memory alive if we not join thomas barrow who is at the site and. tell us how did you experience this is starting this is by chance some echo that. i think this speech buying a miracle will be one that will be studied for a long time when you study how germany deals with its historic responsibility how germany deals with its culture of remembrance it was a very powerful speech indeed which had in my opinion 2 very clear strands on the

one hand and glamor call repeated on various occasions the words honoring and remembering stressing that germany's responsibility is an absolutely vital part of germany's identity as a nation but as john just said that 2nd strand is also understanding that this has a relevance in the world that we live in today that this is not only about remembering and honoring but it's also about understanding how exact past can have an influence today and sending a warning about some of the problems that the world is now currently experiencing i'm glad merkel mentioned specifically for example anti semitism or revisionism 2 key elements and that explains why angela merkel focused on these 2 issues on the 100 obviously remembering as john said i'm going to michael mentioned the word shame on the other hand stressing that it's not only about remembering it's also about considering what this place here what our streets birchenough can teach younger generations can teach all generations about things that should not be repeated and she also said almost that she said it's not easy for me to be standing

in front of all the fields and she talked about what what if you refer to a deep sense of shame to stand there and to know that germany was behind the atrocities which were committed there how do you think legacy visit will get perceived by the few survivors who are left and the relatives of victims. i'm going to specifically mentioned the survivors and the role that they play on this particularly important for auschwitz birkenau because there are not many survivors left on this memorial but also other former concentration camps have been grappling with that issue how to preserve that memory how to preserve those elements of what happened here for future generations when those that experienced it directly are no longer there and that's why the speech by angela merkel but also why some of the other speeches that we heard today are remarkably important not only as i say for auschwitz birkenau but in general for the idea of how you

remember and how you deal with what happened not only not because now but and also some of the other former concentration camps as well and until intending to you know it's taken unlimited 14 years to visit this site tell us a little bit about this site and why was it so important that she visited auschwitz birkenau camp there she's visited many other camps before will auschwitz has become synonymous with the shoah was the attempt by nazi germany to exterminate the the jewish the jews of europe it was a complex it wasn't a simply one camp it consisted of 3 camps and initially it was polish army barracks that were taken over by the s.s. . and they extended it to a 2nd camp or shifts to it was a labor camp as well as a concentration camp in other words a concentration camps incidentally i should say in passing were not invented of course by the germans they were invented in fact by the by the british in the anger

of boer war the 1st construction camps concentration camps in the sense of bringing people together civilians in a conflict situation war situation and so that you can actually contain control them as but behind barbed wire fence or whatever but in addition to being a concentration camp it was also auschwitz also it was a labor camp there was a philosophy to work. people to death and that was not a byproduct of something coincidental that happened it was part of the philosophy to bring people there and to work them to death and that is why the motto above the gates that work liberates must die is particularly cynical of course and then the 3rd element which the with the extension of the camp to the birkenau camp remember this is on an area of some 40 square kilometers a huge area the birkenau camp was extensively a death camp so that the selection torrijos in from

a selection that took place at the ramps when the when the cattle trucks came in with the with the jews on board that 2 thirds of the people with or to be not fit enough to work to be worked to death so they were sent regionally to the gas chambers and birkenau and then the 3 in and then cremated in the adjacent toria so this is a particularly a particularly viable example of the of the course of the concentration camps but there are dozens hundreds of other former concentration camps in germany austria german occupied europe and of course they are the suffering was no less there had because it was not certain just realized it was still the suffering human suffering of course of the individuals is is absolutely comparable and she has made visits there is of course from german chancellor politicians regularly do you know and we did hear this really moving testimony from one of the auschwitz survivors that as his ball done about the cough skinned he was just 12 years old when he came into

the camp and he told us about what he went through at that time let me return to you a tall muslim the things i did mention of these camps are unborn instead of 3 but she was very keen to make a distinction and say very clearly these were german camps operated by germans how important do you think was this issue that she made that for poland. that is an important distinction it's also an important distinction for poland because this has been an issue where polish officials have been very careful about they've been they've insisted time and time again that yes those camps may now be on polish territory but that they were carried out in nazi occupied poland they've made that distinction time and time again and it's one that polish officials constantly try to mention so in the interview of german polish relations that acknowledgment by german chancellor the fact that she stressed that it's particularly important and i

would say is one that was obviously carefully prepared today to make sure that it's not only about the past it's not only about what we've been discussing now it's also about german polish relations and how those relations can be strengthened when it comes in particular to this culture of remembrance and both of you have resisted a 2nd strand in the narrative today and which is that these seventies come at a time when this seeing a rise of anti-semitism not just all over europe but including here in germany john asking you how important was that that gentleman johnson spoke a lot about the veterans of these events and the importance of the men being what had happened for today i think it's hugely important you said earlier and he's and i thought this is an interesting point there it's just between the way the nazi past was dealt with in communist east germany and and in a more positive way in a creative way in west germany but there was a particular. strange historical development it didn't happen automatically after

the war it happened because the post-war the 1st post-war generation confronted death parents and their grandparents it was a grassroots movement with what exactly they had done during the 2nd world war that was a turning point and there's been recently a very interesting book written by an american philosopher susan naman who works for the einstein institute called learning from the germans in which she compares. situation the way that that generation of germans the grass roots of german west german society confronted the past and the way that in america for example that the history of slavery has not been confronted and so this is a very very important legacy that that 1st generation of post-war germans have left to their country unfortunately with the passage of time there is not the same urgency there is not doesn't seem to be the same same concern among the other generations as we get further and further away historically. it doesn't seem to be

the same kind of concern to keep this memory alive at the say on the on the other hand there is even a rise of anti-semitism as we've seen right across europe also in germany we saw an attack only a couple of months ago and both of the czechs thank god on a synagogue in hama quite close to belin and only last week there was an incident that came to light of a member of the armed forces who has rightwing neo nazi contacts who of course will be drummed out of the army of they are they are proved to be correct so there are these very worrying concerns also in germany they don't know what is what was your impression or what johnson love america had to say about the rise of intolerance them including at the symbolism in germany and what the country is doing to combat that. i'm rita they have been questions as to why angela merkel decided to come right now to auschwitz the end of her in power and i think that has to do with

that rise of anti semitism that has to do with this reality that we're experiencing in europe the attack in halle that john mentioned there are other instances as well that are very worrisome but when you understand the context why i'm glad merkel decided to come to auschwitz birkenau right now that is the answer is not only as i say about talking about the pot it's also about sending a message for what is happening now and for the future and i'm going to merkel now don't not only anglo merkel but all german officials are particularly concerned about that rising anti-semitism in the country it is not only a perceived rise they have been starts on studies revealing that there is an increase in anti-semitic attacks and instances in the country and that is something a german officials have been trying to deal with one very important measure that was taken a few years ago was the appointment of germany's 1st anti semitism commissioner and that has followed other measures that were taken by german officials for example increasing the number of personnel to dealing with these kind of issues trying to

focus also on the online world and how people connect in the online world when it comes to dealing with anti-semitism all those things are very important for germany and that was one of the signals that i'm going to one of the messages that anglo merkel wanted to send right here today national spoken out and a final comment from you john now i'm going to make it also what struck me she mentioned the jews who were the main victims of the people who were killed in auschwitz but also mentioned other victims yes well we have a phenomenon. that psychologists call displacement and it's where there are big huge problems like the climate crisis or worries about finance and so on that people tend to focus on something they think is manageable and that is one of the explanations for the rise of xenophobia in. eastern europe according to its many sources sociologists that people think it's something they can cope with and that of course is the scapegoat whether it is the minorities of blacks or the reason is

jews or other minority groups like john by thank you very much for your analysis and comments here in the studio and thank you also to thomas sparrow who is at the auschwitz birkenau camp for you and to sing reporting and analysis from this on the set of monies taking place that you've been watching special coverage coming to you on d w news about the memorial service is taking place at the auschwitz birkenau concentration camp thank you very much for your company again and at the top of the out. bursts. home games of species. worth saying to. you those are big changes and most start with small steps. little boy ideas tell stories of creative people and innovative projects around the world

. news that could. use to bring a solution and for station. community interactive content teaching the next generation about environmental protection. using all channels available to inspire people to get action and more determined to build something here for the next generation the idea is for the environment series of global 3000 on t.w. and online. video to joy from by night symphony one of us from. recognizable pieces of music in the walls. we're going to hear a lot more all beethoven in the next 12 months as 2020 is the 250th anniversary of

his birth and will be celebrated in a big way throughout the year in his hometown of ball also coming up today we have an exclusive interview with one of the great german film directors bama household will receive a lifetime achievement award at the european film awards this week. but we begin with beethoven 2020 which was launched in the western german city of bomb all mines day in advance of a spectacular year of concerts exhibitions on the vents all about one of the greatest classical composers of all time was beethoven's birthplace and where he spent the 1st 20 years of his life now d.w. is heavily involved in the celebrations i'll be talking about that as the launch of a special d.w. classical music you tube channel with my colleague aging kennedy so this.

it's not dropping role it's not pop music but it's very music that is so energetic and so full of emotions he's a living example of his one so for human creativity in the face of adversity the talk is of beethoven good flick than 250 years on from his birth the whole world is celebrating his musical genius. deutsche avello is 1st in the line of well wishers t w unveiled its extensive multimedia program for the beethoven year in the great composers birthplace of. the national. it will kick off with a focus on his most famous composition beethoven's 9th symphony for the world looks

at a musical masterpiece that has transcended all borders. b. to learn to w. we stand for freedom and this is something which brought us together and also that we have a headquarter in bonn and beethoven was born in bonn so i think it's a good match. another d.w. film called the sound of nature focuses on the pastoral symphony beethoven's on march tonight shot the film visits musicians on 5 continents composing music dealing with environmentalists issues. that. tool if we use it properly we contains the world this film had its premiere on world environment day. young it often is all about discovering that the art needs to reflect a new kind of society that emerges exactly. at the time when pizza was born with

the french revolution a world without beethoven is the 3rd major d.w. production sarah willis horn player with but in film that examines the legacy of the musical revolutionary and asked where would we be without the great composer. us jazz great wynton marsalis is one of the international stars she told so you didn't like that. i love the. new perspectives from d.w. in beethoven you know 2020. college you go drink out of the joins me now a trinity of treats. there's lots more as well but do you have a personal favorite difficult to pick out just one but for me beethoven's 9th symphony for the world is a very intriguing project by the award winning documentary filmmaker christian

berger our esteemed colleague probe the special meaning of beethoven's 9th as you know the choral symphony that incorporates a version of schiller's ode to joy a plea for freedom and peace and one of the protagonists in this documentary is greek russian conducted teodor credits this current system of course something of a visionary and red bull in the beethoven most him self he says he would use the 9th to show an alien to make human civilization so special and he has a very emotional take on it as we can hear it think listen. and to where it says and his orchestra will perform all of beethoven's symphonies over the course of bikes hovan year and arch see the documentary ourselves our

great review by the way it's wonderful. it's going to be on d.w. on the 17th of december which is actually the official start of the year also doctors found another way to celebrate the night yes we have a very important announcement now we've launched a new you tube channel d.w. classical music this is going to have a whole range of fantastic content forget james bond for the moment forget the new james bond trailer the most important trailer today is this one. here's the deal germany on the one hand home. of classical music scene on a list with cast cool music. over brahms. the list is endless and on the other hand you've got d w of. documentaries featuring all the classical stars and

so this was a perfect match. a match made in heaven we're going to have plenty of stars we're going to have some familiar faces going to see willis of. music. power music a maestra a whole load of new content interviews concerts and behind the scenes features and you mentioned a lot of the power of one of the great up and coming family conductors i've actually seen there is already a load of new stuff being loaded on to the channel today that's fine and as an example of the kind of thing that you can see on the channel along has been out and about and at the music fest braman she met up with each will be percussion is the marching grouping and after finding out a bit about. musical methods and instrumentation alone drew was even brave enough to have a go herself so here is an exclusive musical. they'll

have to watch all the you tube channel which is a treasure trove of classical music fans are already as there will be other documentaries uploaded on to the channel bit by bit by next year you won't be able to tear yourself away from the available bear that steve is classical music you tube channel adrian kennedy as always thanks very much. then i have saw god has written and directed over 70 feature films and documentaries from our house to hollywood he created milestones of new german cinema in the seventy's and eighty's with fitz corralled nosferatu and has a polish olfa filming and some of us challenging in inhospitable places all tough now he's getting a lifetime achievement award at the european film awards this weekend our man hans christophe on box got an exclusive interview with him before. i was then i had 6

films are ambitious sometimes disconcerting and always surprising and he's made them in some of the farthest corners of the world but we met up with him in his hometown of munich where at the age of 15 he decided to become a filmmaker. always knew i was the in the other hand because i didn't know much about film and hadn't seen many movies i also knew that i would have to invent cinema myself. health so revolutionized german post-war film and with his more than 70 productions he's also broaden their horizons of global center his work cannot be assigned to one single genre and he considers himself neither a european nor a german filmmaker. and yet i think i'm going to reach no category that is very unfair and opulence of life i

think that's why i sometimes say big the 2nd of the very out would have been the only other person who could have made fitzcarraldo couldn't. german actor close kinski plays fitzcarraldo the film is the story of a mad man who's obsessed with building an opera house in the middle of the jungle and has a ship hold over a mountain to do it then a household made film history but these iconic images. 20 years ago he moved to los angeles and he's worked with some of hollywood's biggest stars but whether it's rescue dawn or bad lieutenant hat song always stays true to himself. up to this. 10 and disappear very interview there saw such a wild in a rock movie wilder than the wildest table that took the. fast it's really intense

. sure. what 4 souls still dancing. worked in front of the camera opposite tom cruise as the villain in jack reacher. i don't believe he did. that. when so many other stick knocked. out so it's documentaries are spectacular and popular especially among a younger audience. on his t.v. show on death row he delves into the depths of the human soul along with death row inmates. for grizzly man he followed in the footsteps of the man who went off into the wild to live among bears and ended up being eaten by them. more than 10 years now you have been getting awards for your life's work this time it's

a european film award for lifetime achievement how does a few different systems up. first of all i find it grotesque for a full length films last year other people need 6 years to do that they should give me these awards when i haven't made a movie in 10 years i need to be rolled on to the stage in a wheelchair. then i have so there's certainly not one to rest on his laurels found at any rate hopeful be making his iconic classic films for many years to come. finally it's the darkest time of year here in northern europe and therefore high season for like festivals i leave you with pictures from the french city of. spectacular festival of lights this year which is just stuff as i continues over the weekend thanks for watching.

in the other life of climate change. the city. looks nice to people. what ideas do they have of their future.

g.w. dot com african megacities for the mechanisms click center. was the speech of his life perhaps his best certainly his most difficult the speech by calling dresden on december 19th 1989. shortly after the fall of the us the chancellor addresses the people of east germany. the middest tense the crowd clamors for the german unity journalist peter limbo a cause that just seemed. 30 years later he looks back on the time interest and starts december 19th d.w. . matching being born this. the can prove it since you want to look at the new school. you want to be useful

but on the outlook when you're sick the doctors know when you fall in love they won't. you don't have children for fear they'll be invisible to you assure. you have no human rights. when you die there's no proof of ever exist. every 10 minutes. this is. $10000000.00 people in the world the stakes they have no nationality and the total made up along and. that everyone has the right. everyone has the right to say form. plane.

this is the news coming to you live from berlin germany and america remembers the victims of one of the last crimes against humanity she made some 1st official visit to the smiths death camp causing beneath that infamous slogan makes you free feel hopeful. ever feel again because the nazis mudded know that a 1000000 people have.