Looking back. Looking ahead. 2020-2025

4   FOREWORDS by creating digital and innovative forms of education. The Foundation has taken important steps in this regard: At the Dachau Memorial, the project “Learning at the Site – Learning from the Site” has fundamentally reimagined educational work with and in the barracks. Large sections of the former quarry in Flossenbürg are now part of the memorial, and the long-abandoned building of the SS-operated mining company is being transformed into an innovative place of learning and remembrance. None of these initiatives would be possible without the outstanding commitment of the Foundation’s staff – whether in educational work, research, the preservation of historical sites or the organisation and guidance of visitor groups. The Foundation and its staff ensure that the memorial sites remain living places of remembrance and learning – places that warn us, but also highlight the value of our free democracy and the rule of law. The high level of visitor engagement is a testament to this work and underlines society’s continuing need for   education, as well as the willingness to learn from history and take responsibility for the present – and the future. Munich, October 2025 Anna Stolz Bavarian State Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs and Chair of the Foundation Council Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bavarian Memorial Foundation carries a great respon- sibility: It preserves and shapes the memory of the crimes committed under National Socialism at key historical sites in Bavaria – in Dachau and Flossenbürg, and at the many locations with concentration camp cemeteries, gravesites and large subcamps. This invaluable work forms an essential part of Bavaria’s culture of remembrance. The past five years have repeatedly shown just how challeng- ing this mission can be. From 2020 onwards, the COVID-19   pandemic led to a sharp decline in visitor numbers and   demanded a flexible response; new digital educational formats had to be developed and implemented within the shortest possible time. Our liberation commemorations had to   be scaled down – the protection of elderly contemporary   witnesses was our highest priority. In 2022, the Russian Federation launched a war of aggression against Ukraine – a conflict that has claimed countless of lives and reminds us of the ongoing need to foster understanding among peoples and promote peace. The Foundation has felt the immediate impact of this war: Many elderly survivors of Nazi terror have been affected, personal contacts have been disrupted, and commemorative events have become a delicate balancing act, seeking to honour the Soviet victims and   liberators – many of whom were Ukrainian – while not   providing a platform for the aggressors. The Foundation’s work is taking place in a time of profound change. The end of the SecondWorldWar and the Nazi   dictatorship now lies eight decades behind us. Only a few   contemporary witnesses remain who can speak personally   of the crimes. This presents us with an even greater responsibility to keep memory alive in a way that can be related to the present – not only by preserving tangible historical evidence, but also ©StMUK Anna Stolz, Member of the Bavarian State Parliament (MdL) Bavarian State Minister of Education   and Cultural Affairs  and Chair of the Foundation Council