Instead of celebrating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp, there was a small commemoration. Despite Corona, the appointment was important to Prime Minister Markus Söder.
- The 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp is celebrated for the 75th time.
- A big celebration would have been planned, but it is canceled.
- Prime Minister Markus Söder came to commemorate the occasion.
Dachau - yesterday afternoon Gabriele Hammermann would have stood at the airport to receive survivors, liberators and their families. The big welcome event would have been scheduled for today, followed by a series of eyewitness talks, discussions and an exhibition opening. The satellite camps would have gone on Friday before the memorial manager had experienced “the biggest dinner of my life” with 500 participants on Saturday. Hammermann says that a member of the US Army would have been awarded an honorary prize by the Comité International de Dachau (CiD). Everything was prepared, the flights booked, the hotel rooms reserved. Alone: None of this takes place, despite months of extensive planning.
"It hurts," says Hammermann. Instead, yesterday there was "a worthy sign to the outside world", only - as Foundation Director Karl Freller emphasized - in the smallest possible frame. That means: only the two highest representatives of the Free State - Prime Minister Markus Söder and President of the Landtag Ilse Aigner - came to Dachau to carry out the "straightening of the loop" at the international memorial.
75th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp in Dachau: Söder and Aigner at the commemoration
In protocol, this judging is still under an official wreath laying; Aigner and Söder came, paused, bent to the two wreaths of the state parliament and the state government, and then held a silent commemoration. Freller asked “for your understanding that the local dignitaries, members of the diplomatic corps from different countries and the representatives of the individual victim groups were not allowed to be there. That was anything but bad will ”- but due to the corona crisis. Memorial manager Hammermann was nevertheless happy about the event and that "in addition to all the digital offers, there was also an analogue appointment".
The Prime Minister did not tire of emphasizing yesterday that this remembrance, this active reminder of April 29, 1945, is still important, even highly topical. As long as there are people like AfD man Alexander Gauland who describe National Socialism in Germany as "bird shit" and try to put the atrocities into perspective, one has to "just resist". This is "part of a clear strategy" against the spread of nationalism, right-wing extremism and right-wing populism. Finally, as Söder recalled in his speech, the Nazi horror "did not come at one go", but "in many small steps". Many would have underestimated the Nazis, would have thought: "It won't be that bad." Exactly this underestimation, warned Söder, "but must never happen to us again"!
Prime Minister at wreath-laying ceremony in Dachau concentration camp: Söder thanks US soldiers
The Prime Minister also explicitly thanked “our friends in the United States of America” and the US soldiers “for the contribution they have made here”. This makes the Dachau concentration camp memorial not only a monument to horror, but also friendship.
Both Söder and Hammermann are now hoping that the commemoration will take place on a large scale next year. Freller also put another important date in the room: the year 2033. The comprehensive renovation and expansion of the concentration camp memorial is to be completed on the 100th anniversary of the complex. The corona virus also plays a role in this context. "Until six weeks ago," said Freller, "I would not have worried about funding this measure." But as big as the budget gap in the Free State may be in the coming years: "The political will is still there." If necessary, one would proceed step by step, for example by first refurbishing the old barracks or the area around the former herb garden expanded.
The digital offerings for concentration camp exemption have become established
Despite the bad weather, despite the small frame, Hammermann wanted to highlight two positive aspects of yesterday: Five years ago, on the 70th anniversary of the liberation, the weather was so bad "that Angela Merkel went over the curb, so as not to have to step into the mud ”. In addition, the digital offerings that were introduced in the course of Corona had established themselves: The tour broadcast on the Internet on the subject of “The Prisoner Franz Brückl” on Tuesday had followed 2000 people.
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