The Stockholm Declaration was meant to guard against this – but that work is far from finished.”
Michaela Küchler, IHRA’s Secretary General, highlighted the increasing politicization of memory: “We always knew remembrance was important. But today, we have to fight for it in ways we never expected. When you see Holocaust commemorations being questioned, or survivors being told it is ‘too political’ to have them speak, you realize how fragile this memory really is.”
Michaela was no stranger to the IHRA’s mission when she stepped into the position of Secretary General this year. As Chair of the German IHRA Presidency in 2020, she led the alliance through an unprecedented year – one in which all collaboration had to take place online for the first time. During her time as Chair, IHRA not only adapted but advanced its work, securing the adoption of the working definition of antigypsyism/anti-Roma discrimination and establishing the Global Task Force Against Holocaust Distortion.
Reflecting on the future of Holocaust remembrance, Michaela reinforced the urgency of action, stating, “The question is no longer whether Holocaust remembrance is necessary – it is how we ensure it remains effective for future generations.”
“The question is no longer whether Holocaust remembrance is necessary – it is how we ensure it remains effective for future generations.”
Twenty-five years after Stockholm, the responsibility governments embraced in January 2000 persists. The questions before us are as pressing as ever. How do we ensure that Holocaust remembrance remains relevant for new generations? How do we counter distortion in an era where misinformation and hatred spread faster than facts? And how do we ensure that the commitments made in Stockholm remain more than words on a page?
The answers will not come easily, but the imperative for the international community remains the same.
The work must go on.
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