‘In conclusion, I would like to stress that our memory of the past and struggle for the future are inextricably linked. To build a better future for us all, we must remember the tragedy of 80 years ago,’ said Roman Kwiatkowski.
The Speaker of the Polish Senate, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, also spoke at the commemoration. ‘The reason why the German Nazis were able to embark on the genocidal eradication of entire populations in Europe, almost bringing it to fruition 80 years ago, was primarily due to Europe's absence of a “solidarity instinct" - an immediate unified response to international aggression, violence, and human rights violations,’ she said.
‘If we truly remember the genocide, our response in defence of freedom must be steadfast. If our memory is to be of any use, we must show practical solidarity today to all nations that are victims of war, hatred, and the ideology of superpower insanity,’ added Kidawa-Błońska.
During her speech, Bärbel Bas, the President of the German Bundestag, stated that “Auschwitz represents the greatest atrocity ever committed by humans against their fellow beings”.
‘It symbolises the breakdown in the history of civilization perpetrated by Germany. It symbolises the intention to exterminate the European Jews. It symbolises the genocide committed against the Sinti and Roma. Here at Auschwitz, the racist madness of the Nazis ended in the cruel annihilation of human life,’ she said.
‘Auschwitz is inextricably linked to the German war of extermination directed first against Poland. Tens of thousands of Polish women and men were murdered here,’ she added.
‘If we want to eradicate evil at its inception today, we need to understand what this emerging evil consists of. Even then, it consisted of a desire for simple solutions, a contempt for democracy. And the belief that exclusion does not affect us after all. We readily deny this, but must never forget that humans allowed and perpetrated the greatest evil. This should remain shocking. And it must remain a warning. A warning to the whole world,’ Bärbel Bas concluded.
Yad Vashem Director Dani Dayan spoke about the significance of Jewish and Roma memory, stating, ‘Sinti, Roma, and Jews were transported in similar cattle wagons, murdered in the same gas chambers here in Birkenau and other places. Our bodies were incinerated in the same crematoria, and our ashes were dispersed in the same fields. This has united us as eternal partners in the moral crusade against evil and ensuring the remembrance of the innocent victims and their legacy.’
‘At this pivotal & symbolic commemoration, at this horrible yet meaningful place, I express on behalf of the Jewish people our profound recognition of the catastrophic genocide inflicted upon the Roma & Sinti parallel to the Holocaust, and to express our solidarity with your eternal anguish,’ Dani Dayan stressed.
At the end of the commemoration, wreaths were laid at the Roma and Sinti memorials.
Preceding the main commemorations, representatives from state authorities, parliaments, and international organisations gathered for a special panel at the headquarters of the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust. Auschwitz Museum Director Dr. Piotr Cywiński addressed the audience.
‘We have convened here today to commemorate Roma and Sinti Genocide Remembrance Day. We are all here in the spirit of memory. However, it is crucial to recognise that memory and historical knowledge are not synonymous. It involves more than simply reflecting on the past. The act of remembering is fulfilled in the present. Remembrance bears a strong association with our personal experiences, and arguably, with our present-day identity. Memory plays a
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