On the 98th Birthday of Holocaust Survivor Abba Naor - The Bavarian Memorial Foundation honors the eyewitness's dedication

MUNICH, GERMANY – March 20, 2026 – The Bavarian Memorial Foundation extends its heartfelt congratulations to Abba Naor on his 98th birthday tomorrow and honors his extraordinary, decades-long dedication as an eyewitness to the crimes of National Socialism.

Abba Naor, a survivor of the Shoah, has tirelessly shared his story of persecution with school classes, young people, and adults for decades. In doing so, he creates a direct, personal connection to history that goes far beyond what books and films can convey. His powerful testimony plays a vital role in keeping memory alive, fostering empathy, and raising awareness of the importance of democracy and human rights. In his eyewitness talks, he encourages young people to take responsibility with words like these: "One thing I can tell you, dear children: Never give up. Never! Life is a fine thing. If you do what's right. You are the future. Use this chance."

The coordination of his appearances, including preparation, follow-up, and on-site support, is handled by the education department of the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. Many of his sessions with students take place in rooms at the memorial site or in the city of Dachau.

Director Karl Freller congratulates him on behalf of the Foundation: "We owe Abba Naor a profound debt of gratitude — for his clarity, his humanity, and for his unwavering message that exclusion, hatred, and antisemitism must never again have a place in our society. Over the decades, Abba Naor has moved young people, given them pause for thought, and encouraged them to take a stand. His courage in sharing his painful memories time and again is an invaluable gift to our society. The Foundation wishes to express its sincere thanks to Abba Naor for his longstanding commitment and his trust in our shared work of education and remembrance. His legacy has left a lasting mark on the Foundation's educational mission."

On the occasion of his 98th birthday, the Foundation extends to Abba Naor its deepest gratitude, respect, and warmest wishes. His dedication is a charge to carry memory forward, especially at a time when personal encounters with survivors are becoming increasingly rare.

About Abba Naor

Abba Naor, born Abba Nauchowicz in 1928 in Kovno, Lithuania, was thirteen years old when he entered the ghetto in Kaunas, Lithuania, where his older brother was shot. His family was deported to the Stutthof concentration camp and separated. His mother and younger brother were murdered in Auschwitz. Naor volunteered to go to Kaufering I, the notorious subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp, hoping to find his father there. On May 2, 1945, at the age of seventeen, he was liberated during the Death March in Waakirchen near Bad Tölz south of Munich by units of the U.S. Army. He was reunited with his father and eventually emigrated to Israel. For more than 30 years, Abba Naor has been active in Bavaria as an eyewitness, dedicated to Holocaust remembrance and a culture of reconciliation. Most notably since 2017 as Vice President of the Comité International de Dachau (CID), the international association of Dachau survivors and their descendants, and as a member of the board of trustees of the Bavarian Memorial Foundation.

Now 98 years old, he lives in Israel and continues to make regular visits to Bavaria for eyewitness talks.