In a tribute to the Auschwitz survivor Gertrude Pressburger, Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee said in Berlin:

"In 2016, during the run-up to the Austrian presidential election and due to the influence of the election campaign by the far-right freedom party FPÖ, Auschwitz survivor  "Frau Gertrude" decided to speak out. Based on her experiences of the destruction of democracy in Austria and the acts of anti-Semitic humiliation that she and her family had endured before and within the confines of Auschwitz as a result of this destruction, she decided to speak out in public.

The video of her circled the globe and became one of the most rousing speeches by an Auschwitz survivor against the mounting outbreaks of anti-Semitism and the diatribes of populist hatemongers. Auschwitz survivors around the world bid farewell to their friend and fellow sufferer Gertrude Pressburger with deepest gratitude for her courage and her human kindness. She moved and motivated many young people, not only in Austria, with her clear and powerful message to stand up against anti-Semitism and populist hatred. “Frau Gertrude’s“ message is more relevant than ever. We will miss her dearly."