engagement
On May 5, 2025, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp, the outdoor warehouse stele on the area of the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial was unveiled as part of a memorial event. The commemoration for the victims of the concentration camp crimes took place in the presence of Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, deputy governor Christine Haberlander, State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried and the head of Mauthausen Memorial, Barbara Glück.
“The Mauthausen concentration camp is a symbol of the crimes of National Socialism in Austria. Over 90,000 people lost their lives here. But the murder was not limited to Mauthausen alone – even in the over 40 outside camps all over Austria, targeted annihilation took place,” said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner at the memorial. The Republic of Austria is committed to an active and contemporary memorial culture. Part of this is to clearly name the entire Mauthausen system – especially the outer warehouses and make it visible. “With today’s unveiling of the outer bearings, we are making an important sign of a common and contemporary commemoration.”
Karner emphasized: “Thank you to all those who supported and promoted this important process of visualization of the horror – especially the regional memorial initiatives and communities such as Gunskirchen, Hirtenberg, St. Aegyd/Neuwald and Melk.” The regional examination of history in particular is a load -bearing pillar of a modern culture of remembrance, said the Interior Minister. “These initiatives make an indispensable contribution to democratic education and the fight against extremism – at a time when the saying is increasingly shifted, they are more important than ever.”
Deputy Governor Christine Haberlander said: “The promise ‘never again’ should be renewed and fulfilled with life. So that it succeeds, we need a contemporary culture of memory. Only if memory is and remains part of our present, then a ‘never’ is guaranteed.
State Secretary Jörg Leichtfried said: “The liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp stands for incredible suffering, but also for a warning: A system of violence, hate and exclusion must never determine our society again.” 80 years later, the teachings from history are more relevant than ever in many areas of society, added the State Secretary. “We all bear responsibility – not only to remember, but also to defend what has been created in recent decades: a strong republic, a resilient democracy – for freedom, for humanity, for social peace.”
Barbara Glück, director of the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial, emphasized: “The memory of the victims of National Socialism is not a look back, but a look ahead: How do we want to live with each other as a society? What values do we continue? And how do we deal with the responsibility that the story imposed on us? On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the liberation, we invite you to ask us together. An active memorial culture arises. “