In a moving ceremony today, over 9,000 guests of the Mauthausen Committee Austria, including more than 3,000 young people, commemorated the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp 79 years ago.
Vienna (OTS) – Under the thematic focus of “Law and Justice in National Socialism”, contemporary witnesses, high-ranking government representatives and guests gathered to commemorate the victims and emphasize the importance of the rule of law and justice in our society. The celebrations were broadcast internationally via live stream www.mkoe.at as well as broadcast on ORF III.
On the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp, the Mauthausen Committee Austria, in collaboration with the Comité International de Mauthausen (CIM) and the Austrian Camp Community (ÖLM), once again invited people to the international liberation celebration in the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial. A large number of commemorations also take place across Austria at the sites of former satellite camps, which are organized by local initiatives in the MKÖ network. The commemoration in Mauthausen is the largest liberation celebration in Europe.
Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen on the liberation celebration: “With the commemoration ceremony in the former Mauthausen concentration camp, we remember the end of the humiliation, torture and murder of innocents, the Nazi terror and the Holocaust. We honor the memory of the victims. We also understand “Never again” as a clear mandate to combat any form of racism “To resolutely confront anti-Semitism and totalitarianism. Respect for those who think differently and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms form the foundation on which our continent has been united since 1945.”
This year’s thematic focus “Law and Justice in National Socialism” reminds us that law does not always mean justice. The Nazis created a new legal system that reflected their ideology. Laws were passed and interpreted in such a way that they corresponded to racist and inhumane goals. This made the persecution, expropriation and murder of Jews, Roma and other groups possible.
Willi Mernyi, chairman of the MKÖ, “The pursuit of justice is the foundation of a democratic society. During National Socialism, the legal system was systematically abused with the aim of strengthening the power of the state and suppressing the individual freedoms and rights of citizens. It is our responsibility to ensure that as a society we actively address injustice and justice meets a higher moral standard.”
Liberation celebration in the form of a memorial procession
Thousands of people from Europe and around the world take part in the commemoration and liberation ceremony every year, including the last survivors of the Mauthausen concentration camp and its subcamps as well as numerous young people. During the joint liberation celebration, MKÖ chairman Willi Mernyi addressed his welcoming words to the thousands of participants, especially to the concentration camp survivors and contemporary witnesses at the liberation celebration and in front of the screens and to the many young people present. Before the welcome, the liberation ceremony was opened with a virtual reading of the “Mauthausen Oath” in several languages by international young people.
As part of the joint liberation celebration, numerous delegations laid wreaths. Speeches by MKÖ chairman Willi Mernyi and CIM president Guy Dockendorf were also part of the commemoration. The “Resistance” ensemble provided musical accompaniment to the entire memorial procession. As in previous years, the memorial service was moderated in several languages by Konstanze Breitebner and Mercedes Echerer. The route of the memorial procession finally ended with the exodus from the former protective custody camp, which symbolized the liberation of the concentration camp prisoners in 1945.
Afterwards there was the opportunity for an individual, silent remembrance.
Photos of the 2024 commemoration and liberation celebration will be available here soon: https://www.befreiungsfeier.at/news-fotos/fotos
About the Mauthausen Committee Austria:The survivors of the Mauthausen concentration camp officially handed over their legacy to the Mauthausen Committee Austria in 2000. This legacy of the concentration camp survivors forms the basis of the MKÖ’s activities. In addition to the memorial work for the victims of the crimes of the Nazi regime, especially those who were held captive in the Mauthausen concentration camp and in the subcamps, there are also activities against right-wing extremism and committed anti-fascist and anti-racist work, especially with young people important focal points. In recent years, the MKÖ has conducted civil courage training with more than 180,000 young people, multimedia educational offerings through the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial and at sites of former satellite camps, the preparation and follow-up of visits to concentration camp memorials, and anti-racism workshops such as the workshop “We are all” as well as the new thematic tours “think Vienna” as well as various event- and topic-related youth projects.
Questions & Contact:
Mauthausen Committee Austria
Willi Mernyi, Chairman
0664/1036465
info@mkoe.at
www.mkoe.at