Holocaust commemoration
Scholz appeals: ““Never again” is every day”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) emphasizes that today’s democracy is based on the central commitment “Never again” (archive image). photo
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
On the day of remembrance of the victims of National Socialism, the Chancellor urges vigilance. Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer warns about current developments.
On the occasion of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Federal Chancellor calls Olaf Scholz calls for a determined fight against anti-Semitism and racism. “‘Never again’ is every day,” says the SPD politician in his weekly video “Kanzler compact”, which is published today. “January 27th calls to us: Stay visible! Stay audible! Against anti-Semitism, against racism, against misanthropy – and for our democracy.”
On the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the former German concentration camp Auschwitz, numerous events throughout Germany commemorated the victims of National Socialism. The Nazis murdered more than a million people there, mostly Jews. The date has been celebrated as Holocaust Remembrance Day in Germany since 1996, and the United Nations proclaimed the date a day of remembrance in 2005.
At the abyss of humanity
Scholz emphasized that today’s democracy is based on the central commitment “Never again”. “No more exclusion and disenfranchisement, never more racial ideology and dehumanization, never more dictatorship.” Ensuring this is the central task of the state. “That’s why we fight every form of anti-Semitism, terrorist propaganda and misanthropy.” “Never again” demands everyone’s vigilance, said the Chancellor, referring to the current demonstrations against the right. “Our democracy is not God-given. It is man-made. It is strong when we support it. And it needs us when it is attacked,” warned Scholz.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) wrote on the platform again is now.” Numerous federal ministers appeared on X with signs from the “We remember” memorial campaign. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser ordered mourning flags to be displayed in federal government buildings on Saturday.
The SPD politician also took part in a reading at the Ravensbrück memorial in Fürstenberg/Havel. “Less than 80 years after the end of the Hitler regime, plans are again being made to systematically discriminate and harass, disenfranchise and expel people based on their ancestry, their appearance, their origin or their political stance,” said the minister. “We have a responsibility not to allow this to happen.” Faeser sees not only the rule of law but also the population in demand here. “‘Never again’ is not just an empty phrase, it is our mission.”
EKD: Anti-Semitism is blasphemy
The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) made it clear that anti-Semitism is incompatible with faith. The president of the EKD synod, Anna-Nicole Heinrich, said: “Extremist, racist and ethnic-nationalist attitudes hit God in the face.” Heinrich and the current EKD Council Chairwoman, Bishop Kirsten Fehrs, also pointed out the resolutions of the EKD Synod of November 2023, according to which anti-Semitism is a form of blasphemy.
Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer expressed concern about the rise in anti-Semitic incidents in Germany. “I never thought it would happen like this again, because that’s how it started back then,” the 102-year-old told ARD “Tagesthemen” on Friday. For “those who have experienced this,” it is “particularly difficult to understand and very sad.”
Former football commentator Marcel Reif, son of a Holocaust survivor, told the editorial network Germany (RND/Saturday): “‘Never again!’ is the basis of this state’s existence.” He hopes that the Germans will take this to heart. Reif is scheduled to speak at this year’s Bundestag memorial hour on January 31st alongside Eva Szepesi, who survived Auschwitz as a child.
New formats for Holocaust remembrance
The Federal Government’s Anti-Semitism Commissioner, Felix Klein, called for new formats for Holocaust remembrance. There are only a few survivors of the Holocaust left who can personally bear witness and report on the crimes of the Shoah, Klein told the newspapers of the Funke media group (Saturday). Memorials need to become “more digital and mobile”, for example in social media, but also in real sports clubs or music schools.