More than 20,000 people from all over the world took part in the international liberation celebration in the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial. In the 80th year after the liberation of the concentration camp, this year’s celebration was under the new motto “Together for a ‘never again!'”, Which highlights the importance of solidarity and communal commitment to democracy and human rights.
The international commemorative and liberation celebration, organized by Mauthausen Committee Austria (MKÖ) in cooperation with the Comité International de Mauthausen (CIM), is the largest memorial event of this kind in Europe at a former crime scene of National Socialism. She was again live and internationally www.befreiungsfeier.at streamed and transferred in ORF II. Federal President Alexander van der Bellen, his majesty King Felipe VI. The President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, government members, international delegations and survivors took part of Spain and his wife Queen Letizia, as well as thousands of young people who continue the legacy of the victims.
The concentration camp survivor Hana Berger Moran, Eva Clarke and Mark Olsky, who were born 80 years ago in the last days of the war and were released from the Mauthausen concentration camp a little later, took part with contemporary witness Katja Sturm-Schnabl in the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial.
A strong international sign
This year’s liberation celebration was characterized by impressive international participation – across all age groups. The Spanish royal couple commemorated the victims as part of the international liberation celebrations. But also numerous young people from many countries in Europe and from overseas came to Mauthausen to set a visible sign of memory and responsibility together with concentration camp survivors and contemporary witness: inside, international and national delegations and other guests. Their presence underlined the central concern of the Mauthausen Committee: to keep the memory of the victims and to carry the message “together for a ‘never again!'”. The liberation ceremony began again this year with the multilingual reading of the “Mauthausen Schwurs”.
Thousands of young people actively participated in the commemoration, among other things through their own youth memorial ceremony in the former quarry and the symbolic wreath laying of the many youth delegations at the end of the memorial. This strong international youth presence once again made it clear that the legacy of the survivors is also determined by the young generation. In their speeches, Cim President Guy Dockendorf and MKÖ chairman Willi Mernyi also recalled how important it was that the following generations are aware of their responsibility.
Mernyi emphasized: “There is a big difference between us and the people in 1938: It may be that some of our ancestors in the seizure of power by Adolf Hitler could not or did not want to know where the hatred and the division will lead. But we, today, know it! And this knowledge blames us again ‘.”
Diverse commemoration – strong commitment
The moderation of the event again took over Konstanze Breitenbner and Mercedes Ulerer. The celebration was accompanied musically by the Upper Austria military chapel and the international band “Baba Yaga”.
As every year, numerous memorial events were held in the places of former outer warehouse throughout Austria. With its diverse educational and memory projects, the MKÖ offers young people the opportunity to deal intensively with the story and thus actively shape the future.
The Mauthausen Committee Austria also reached this year at Virtual memory A great response with a range of statements for a common “never again”.
The Blog of the Mauthausen Committee As of the 2025 commemoration, a wide variety of articles will be on the thematic focus until the end of the year.
Photos and other press ematerations stand here for download available. (C) Mkö / Alissar Najjar
About the Mauthausen Committee Austria:
The MKÖ continues the legacy of the survivors by doing memory work and consistently against right -wing extremism, anti -Semitism and racism. A special focus is on working with young people: Over 180,000 young people have already participated in workshops, training and educational offers from the MKÖ.