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For the First Time: Merkel Visits Auschwitz | Israel today

2019-12-06T12:58:05.686Z


Europe


After 14 years as Chancellor, the historic visit takes place • "The purpose of the visit is to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust and to remember Germany's eternal responsibility"

  • German chancellor at the gates of the Auschwitz extermination camp // Photo: IP

Historic visit: German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the Auschwitz extermination camp on Friday. This is Merkel's first visit to the Nazi extermination camp after 14 years in office. Merkel is accompanied by a visit by Polish Prime Minister Matausz Murawicki, Polish President Andrzej Aunty, and survivor of the extermination camp.

Merkel's journey to Poland comes at a time when anti-Semitism in Germany is only increasing, and is considered an important gesture in the fight against it. Remember, in October, an anti-Semitic attack took place in this city when an armed man tried to break into a synagogue during Yom Kippur.

A German government spokesman said the purpose of the trip was "to perpetuate the victims of Nazi crimes and not to forget Germany's eternal responsibility in the Holocaust."

Historic visit: Germany's chancellor in the Auschwitz extermination camp // Photo: Reuters

According to the official schedule of the visit, Merkel will hold a minute's silence near the "Black Wall" in the extermination camp, where thousands of inmates who were in the camp during the Holocaust were shot dead. You will then move to the Birkenau camp, where you will carry things.

How many German leaders visited Auschwitz?

Amazingly, since the end of World War II, only two prime ministers have visited the extermination camp. The first to visit was Chancellor Helmut Schmidt who did so in 1977, and the second was Helmut Kohl who visited Auschwitz in 1989 and 1995.

Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2019-12-06

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