Sunday. 5. Mai 2024,
"there will always be people and systems that spread hatred and intolerance, that violate the dignity of others and threaten freedom. It is up to all of us to resolutely oppose this hatred "
Today, as every year, we have gathered at the crematorium to commemorate the victims of the Dachau concentration camp. First and foremost, I would like to express my thanks and respect to the survivors present who, at an advanced age, took on the arduous journey to come to Dachau for today's liberation ceremony.
It is a deep honour and at the same time a responsibility for me to speak before you today, at this place of unspeakable suffering. 79 years ago, you were liberated from the Dachau concentration camp - a place that has come to symbolise the barbarity of the National Socialist terror regime. Today we commemorate those who suffered here, those who lost their lives here, those who were liberated here and had to carry the burden of their experiences with them for the rest of their lives.
We have gathered here in front of the crematorium, a place that symbolises the cruelty that prevailed in the Dachau concentration camp. It reminds us that human dignity and freedom can never be taken for granted, but must be defended again and again. Masses of prisoners murdered by the SS were cremated here in the four incinerators, some of their ashes scattered or buried in nearby fields. They were denied a burial. Their families were unable to say goodbye to them.
The memorial site where we are today was deliberately designed as a cemetery. It is also a cemetery, just as the entire concentration camp memorial site is also a cemetery.
If a person is denied the right to a dignified burial, this is not only a violation of human dignity, but also an act of injustice towards the living and the descendants of the dead. It is a burden that is often passed on from generation to generation. I know, dear descendants of the second and third generations who are involved in the CID, how important this concentration camp memorial is to you as a place of mourning and remembrance of your ancestors who were denied the dignity of a burial.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Despite the horrors that took place in Dachau, there are also stories of courage and humanity that give us hope. Stories of prisoners who stood by each other, of resistance fighters who rose up against injustice, stories of solidarity and of liberators who opened the door to freedom for the prisoners. These stories are also a memorial, a reminder that even in the darkest times, the light of humanity is not extinguished. We must continue to tell these stories, you the survivors, you the descendants of the second or third generation, but also all of us who are committed to learning and remembrance work.
We must tell these stories because there will always be people and systems that spread hatred and intolerance, that violate the dignity of others and threaten freedom. It is up to all of us to resolutely oppose this hatred and stand up for a world in which everyone can live in peace and freedom, regardless of origin, religion or skin colour.
Let us therefore join together to honour the legacy of those who suffered in Dachau by working for a world in which the atrocities of the past are never repeated. May their suffering teach us that we must always remain vigilant against all forms of injustice and oppression. In this spirit, let us mourn together, but also hope and fight for a future in which the words ‘Never again’ do not remain just a promise, but become a reality.
Thank you for your attention.
Translated with DeepL.com
