Speaking during a visit to the Auschwitz Memorial and marking tomorrow's commemoration of the 85th anniversary of the invasion of Poland and the beginning of World War II, Christoph Heubner, Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee said:
"Tomorrow, on 1 September, survivors of Auschwitz and other German concentration and extermination camps around the world will be commemorating the 85th anniversary of the beginning of World War II and the invasion of Poland with sadness and pain. For them, this day of remembrance will be filled with fear in face of rampant right-wing extremism. In many European countries the ideologues and agitators are inciting hatred and attacking democracy with the aim of destroying it."
In Warsaw, Marian Turski (98), Polish-Jewish Auschwitz survivor and President of the International Auschwitz Committee, emphasized:
“The German bombs that fell on Poland on 1 September 1939 destroyed the everyday life and world of our youth and opened the door to the genocide of the Jewish families of Europe. The Nazis marched through the whole of Europe after 1 September with hatred and violence that left many thousands dead in many countries, and this still brings pain to the survivors of the German concentration and extermination camps today.
After this inferno, we were incapable of imagining that another dictator would ever be able to unleash another war of aggression in Europe, bringing suffering, anger and grief to people who are still bearing the horrors of the last war in their souls and their memories. For us, the fact that war has become possible again in Europe is a huge tragedy. And especially in these days of remembrance, we cannot understand or accept that right-wing extremists, anti-Semites and racists are once again gathering support in Europe.
With all our experiences and memories, we as survivors of the German concentration and extermination camps are urgently warning people, especially on this historic 1 September, not to vote for right-wing extremists and Nazis, whose ideology has already driven Europe to war and destruction.”