Looking back. Looking ahead. 2020-2025

DACHAU MEMORIAL | ALBUM 2023 61 A P R I L Anniversary of the liberation of Dachau A commemorative event was held on 30 April to mark the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau. The event was hosted by Dominique Boueilh, President of the Comité International de Dachau (CID), Karl Freller, Director of the Bavarian Memorial Foundation, and Dr Gabriele Hammermann, Director of the Dachau Memorial. The day began with various religious services: an ecumenical service at the Carmel of the Precious Blood, a Russian Ortho- dox service in the Resurrection Chapel and a commemorative ceremony led by the State Association of Jewish Communities in Bavaria at the Jewish Memorial. This was followed by a joint remembrance at the former crematorium, with speeches by Serge Quentin (CID), Abba Naor (Kaufering survivor) and Florian Hartmann (Mayor of Dachau). After laying a wreath at the Memorial to the Unknown Prisoner, participants walked along the former camp road to the former roll call area, where the central ceremony was opened by Dr Gabriele Hammer- mann and Karl Freller. The main addresses were delivered by Prof. Michael Piazolo (Bavarian State Minister of Education and Culture and ex officio Chairman of the Foundation Council) and Dominique Boueilh. Emotional messages of remembrance came from Dachau survivors Joseph Alexander and David Lenga, as well as from Leslie Rosenthal, who was born in the Kaufering subcamp. A further speech was held by Dan Dougherty, one of the American soldiers who liberated Dachau. The ceremony also honoured Dachau survivors who had passed away during the previous year; while their names were read out to the audience, their portraits were displayed for all to see. The day concluded with a wreath-laying at the International Memorial.