30 YEARS
OF THE BRANDENBURG MEMORIALS FOUNDATION
The Brandenburg Memorials Foundation (SBG) celebrated its 30th anniversary today at the invitation of SBG Director Prof. Dr. Axel Drecoll in a joint ceremony with Dr. Dietmar Woidke, Prime Minister of the State of Brandenburg. The ceremony was also attended by the Director of the Ravensbrück Museum and Memorial (Dr Andrea Genest, deputising for Prof. Dr Axel Drecoll), the Minister of Culture and Science (Dr Manja Schüle), Aaron Sagui (MP for the State of Israel), Ib Katznelson (a survivor of Ravensbrück concentration camp), and Leonore Bellotti (a former inmate of the Soviet special camp at Sachsenhausen). Claudia Roth, Federal Government Plenipotentiary for Culture and Media, delivered a video greeting.
Brandemburg Memorials Foundation
Dr Andrea Genest, Director of the Ravensbrück Museum and Memorial, deputising for Prof. Dr Axel Drecoll, said: “The establishment of the Brandenburg Memorials Foundation in 1993 marked a turning point for Memorials in the Federal Republic, which quickly evolved into modern history museums. We are now in a situation where the survivors' political and moral voice is disregarded. This is a painful vacuum that can only be filled by a concerted effort, combining a critical historical consciousness with an unequivocal rejection of anti-Semitism, racism and social exclusion. The buildings and monuments of historical crime scenes are points of reference for remembrance. They must be preserved permanently. Memorials need human and financial resources to meet new challenges such as the digital revolution and educational work."
Dr Dietmar Woidke, Prime Minister of the State of Brandenburg, said: "It is impossible to comprehend the unimaginable crimes of the National Socialist governments. However, some sites in Brandenburg make these crimes and sufferings more vivid and palpable. Sites that are shocking and overwhelming. The Brandenburg Memorials Foundation meticulously safeguards these sites, approaching their care with profound empathy, a clear vision and exceptional historical knowledge, effectively highlighting the political terror of the past century. It reminds and warns that the past must not be repeated. This is why the states of Brandenburg and the Federal Republic of Germany established the Foundation 30 years ago. Undertaking this mission was unquestionably challenging for the Foundation. Nevertheless, Sachsenhausen, Ravensbrück, Brandenburg an der Havel and Belower Wald are today multicultural sites, open memorials and important history museums, with the Jamlitz and the Leistikowstraße Memorial and Meeting Place in Potsdam as recent additions. My heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to Director Axel Drecoll and all those who work for the Foundation, both professionally and as volunteers. I assure you that the country's government will continue to support this indispensable work."
Minister for Culture and Media Claudia Roth: “For the past 30 years, the primary objective and guiding principle of the Brandenburg Memorials Foundation has been the dignified commemoration and involvement of the public in researching the history of Nazi crimes. With profound expertise, unwavering commitment, and visionary thinking, Axel Drecoll's team has developed immersive commemoration and learning sites aimed at young people and increasingly diverse target groups through modern educational initiatives. The Foundation plays a crucial role in ensuring the victims of the National Socialist regime's terror and Communist oppression in the Soviet occupation zone and the GDR are not forgotten. Thanks to the Foundation's valuable work, the memorials are highly recognised nationally and internationally as commemoration institutions. Therefore, I express my sincere appreciation to the entire staff of the Foundation, who are unwavering in their commitment to promoting a culture of remembrance in Germany."
Dr Manja Schüle, Minister for Culture and Science of the State of Brandenburg: "The history of the Nazi concentration camps is and remains harrowing: people were kidnapped, humiliated, tortured and murdered. Today, witnesses still recount these events vividly, with commitment and unforgettable memories, despite the passage of so many years. This allows us to comprehend that an occurrence can recur in the future, even though it never should. Young people, in particular, should be exposed to history to confront anti-Semitism, racism and contemporary nationalism. The Brandenburg Memorials Foundation has been reminding people of the atrocities of terror, war, and violence for the past 30 years. Soon we will have to tell the story of the Holocaust and Nazi crimes without survivors. Memorials as authentic sites are increasingly becoming important. I wish the Foundation courage and success for decades to come!".
Ib Katznelson, a survivor of Ravensbrück concentration camp: "Today, we find ourselves at a critical juncture where the Brandenburg Memorials Foundation faces challenges of equal significance to those encountered 30 years ago. One challenge is accelerating the process of transferring living memories in favour of transferring historical accounts. Other challenges include digitalisation and the
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AT THE STATE CHANCELLERY IN POTSDAM