Looking back. Looking ahead. 2020-2025

188   SPEECHES | POLITICS AND SOCIETY Politics and Society ©Bavarian Memorial Foundation Honourable Dean Karlhermann Schötz, Honourable Prof. Skriebeleit, Honourable Director Karl Freller, Ladies and Gentlemen, A warm welcome to each of you! Thank you for coming. I would also like to extend a special   welcome to all those tuning in via livestream and joining us in this act of remembrance.We are gathered here today to honour the victims of Nazi terror. It is our historical duty to remember the fate of those individuals. Not even the pandemic should prevent us from confronting what was inflicted upon the victims of the Nazi regime. These people and their families have a right to be remembered. And that is why I find it so important that we are sending such a strong signal today. Ladies and Gentlemen, The suffering caused by the Holocaust is far greater than we can possibly imagine. It is the darkest chapter of our history.   It fills me with sorrow – and great shame. The Shoah represented a complete collapse of civilisation and a betrayal of every human value. Today, we stand before these crimes in utter disbelief. How could any human being inflict such cruelty on others? How could it come to pass that individuals were stripped of their freedom and their very lives because of their religion, their origin, or simply because they belonged to a minority? Nazi terror was horrific and merciless. And this place stands as a symbol of immeasurable suffering. We will never be able to undo that suffering. But what we   can do is remember the victims and keep their memory alive.   For remembrance means refusing to let their stories fade. Kerstin Schreyer, MdL Bavarian State Minister   for Housing, Building and Transport 76th anniversary of the liberation of Flossenbürg  25 April 2021 Each year, we remember all those who were disenfranchised, exploited, tortured and murdered in the Flossenbürg concen- tration camp. They were men, women and children. We also remember the survivors and the relatives of the victims, who were – and continue to be – marked by terror and unimaginable atrocities. The fact that we continue to support memorials and places of learning in a lasting and responsible way is a matter very close to my heart. After all, remembrance work has never been more important. The dignity of the victims demands that we never forget them – because we are all responsible for ensuring that such crimes never happen again. We lend our support wherever we can. Our State Building Authorities work in close partnership with concentration camp memorial sites. And whenever projects involve properties in the custody of the Free State of Bavaria, we are as open and accommodating as possible.   Ladies and Gentlemen, The Flossenbürg Memorial also calls upon all of us to stand up for humanity and civil courage.We must not remain silent or look the other way when someone is attacked or humiliated. We must confront antisemitism and racism with unwavering resolve.We continue to witness racism, antisemitism, hatred and violence in our country.We were all shocked by the attacks in Halle and Hanau. They have left me stunned and saddened. And they demand a firm and unequivocal response.We must always take these threats seriously! And we must remain vigilant. And when people think they can express their frustration through protest voting, they should take a closer look at what those parties actually stand for. That is where the “protest” ends. Because the ideas represented in those circles often lead to actions. Hanau is one tragic exam- ple. That is why I urge each and every one of us to pay close