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DIALOGUE FORUM
Mauthausen Memorial
The first day was devoted to plans for redeveloping the grounds of the former Gusen concentration camp. After the welcome, participants observed a minute of silence in memory of Jean-Louis Roussel, who died unexpectedly on September 17. Roussel was vice-president of the French Amicale de Mauthausen and of the International Mauthausen Committee. This was followed by
a presentation of the design for the new layout of the site and of current research conducted by the Mauthausen Memorial. A panel discussion addressed the particular challenges of transforming places with
a difficult history. Afternoon workshops and interdisciplinary walks around the site focused on regional remembrance culture, future curatorial and educational work, and ways of presenting biographies.
On the evening of the first day, the documentary Botschafter des Erinnerns (Ambassador of Remembrance), directed by Magdalena Żelasko, was screened. The film portrays Stanisław Zalewski, a survivor of Gusen who, even at the age of 100, remains active as a witness to history and who visited the Mauthausen Memorial last year during the Dialogue Forum. In conversation with the audience, the director spoke about the making of the film, Zalewski’s life story, and the role that such personal perspectives play in memory work.
The second day focused on the varied experiences and histories of persecution of individual prisoner groups, as well as international perspectives on the history and future of memorial sites. Parallel panels in German and English addressed, among other topics, the persecution of homosexual people, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Roma and Sinti. Other presentations dealt with prisoners of Austrian origin who were persecuted as “asocial” or “criminal.” The perspective of the camp staff was also presented on the basis of historical sources.
International projects from Spain, Austria, France, Rwanda, and Argentina showed how diverse approaches to places with difficult past can be. New forms of commemoration and educational work were also presented.
The Dialogue Forum thus provided a space for discussing the further development of the Gusen Memorial and the ways in which its story can be told.
Our sincere thanks to all speakers, co-organizers, and participants for their contributions and for the dialogue we shared.
The 17th Dialogue Forum of the Mauthausen Memorial took place on September 18–19, 2026, under the title Gusen: Shaping a New Memorial Site: Public Participation, Research, Education. Some 100 people from academia, memorial sites, education, and civil society came together to discuss the future of memorial sites, with a particular focus on the future Gusen Memorial.