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Yad Vashem Chairman Speaks
at the Bundestag
In
recent years, various European nations including Sweden, UK, Italy,
and Germany began commemorating 27 January—the anniversary of the
liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as Holocaust Remembrance Day.
In
1997, this government legislation was passed in Germany, and since then
it has been acknowledged through commemorative ceremonies countrywide,
and an official state ceremony at the German parliament (Bundestag).
This year, at
the invitation of Bundestag President, Professor Wolfgang Thierse, and
the initiative of President of the Freundeskreis of Yad Vashem in
Germany, Professor Rita Süssmuth, Chairman of the Yad Vashem
Directorate, Avner Shalev, and Head of the International School’s
European Desk, Yariv Lapid, participated in the Auschwitz liberation
day events in the Bundestag. In parliament, Shalev and Lapid addressed
a 120-member youth delegation and sat on a panel of Holocaust experts
during the official state ceremony.
Shalev spoke of
Yad Vashem’s traditional and future visions, while Lapid familiarized
participants with Yad Vashem’s campus and activities. Following a
keynote address by Jorge Semprun—Holocaust survivor, author, and
Spain’s former Minister of Cultural Affairs—Shalev, Lapid, and other
panel members answered questions from youth and parliamentarians on
the relevance of the Holocaust for today.
In an effort to
support Germany’s efforts at Holocaust commemoration, Yad Vashem
offered its experience, assisting in shaping the activities of
Holocaust Remembrance Day 2003. Yad Vashem is currently making solid
connections with the Bundestag president and heads of German
commemorative sites and organizations in this same vein.
Copyright ©2004 Yad Vashem The Holocaust
Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority |
