Looking back. Looking ahead. 2020-2025

INSTITUTIONS | SPEECHES   213 Institutions ©Dachau Memorial / G. Hassel Ladies and Gentlemen, For the Comité International de Dachau (CID), founded when the concentration camp was liberated 77 years ago – with the aim of fostering unity and peace – this former roll call area is   a place of reflection and remembrance. It is not a platform for political statements. And yet we cannot stand here without responding – without expressing our profound sympathy and dismay – in the face of the aggression against Ukraine and the violations of interna- tional law. It is not for me to unravel the many complex causes of this war. But when it is dismissed as a mere “military operation” and justified in the name of “denazifying” part of Europe, it becomes our duty – especially here – to voice our deepest indignation. Because the use of the word “denazification” is an unac- ceptable distortion and an intolerable insult to all victims of National Socialism and the concentration camp system,   whose first camp was Dachau. The survivors among us today are here to bear witness. And the reality is that, in addition to Ukrainian and Russian prisoners of war – 4,000 to 7,000 of whom were held in Hebertshausen – prisoners from those countries were also registered in the Dachau concentration camp. According to the memorial’s archives, prisoners of Ukrainian origin accounted for around 65 to 75% of the 25,400 prisoners from the   Soviet Union – all marked with the same “R” on their striped uniforms. Let us remember this shared suffering, this shared martyrdom, this shared struggle against National Socialism until it was defeated. General Jean-Michel Thomas President of the Comité International de Dachau (CID) 77th anniversary  of the liberation of Dachau  1 May 2022 The cry of “Never again” and the demand for an end to all wars was a deep longing – shouted out by the camp survivors at the moment of their liberation. Although this hope has only been partially fulfilled, as we can see today, it remains as urgent and essential as ever for the entire world. The tragic events unfold- ing today remind us that peace is a fragile, unstable balance that is never achieved once and for all – it is something that must be pursued tirelessly. How can we make a modest contribution to achieving this goal? We can start by seeking truth and objectivity. By resisting the urge to resort too quickly to instrumentalisation or over- simplification in order to dismiss an opinion simply because it differs from our own. The practice of reductio ad hitlerum, where one discredits an opponent by systematically associating them with Adolf Hitler, is widespread but unworthy. National Socialism must not be trivialised. Similarly, careless use of fascism-related terms – or silence regarding totalitarian systems – must also be rejected. But most importantly, there is a task that concerns us all –   and one where we can all make a difference. It is the mission initiated by the CID and now carried forward by the Dachau   Memorial along with numerous associations and communities. It is our duty to tirelessly inform others about our shared history – with all its ethnic, religious, national, economic and linguistic dimensions. It is our duty to explain this history and make it understandable. This educational work is essential and must continue for everyone – for young people and for visitors from around the world – to help lay foundations for peace. In this regard, the efforts and directions taken by the Bavarian Memorial Foundation and the Bavarian authorities towards a new exhibition are encouraging and promising. Thank you for these efforts – we should not let up.