Speech on the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of National Socialism on 27 January 2025

Dear Members of the German Bundestag and the Saxon State Parliament

Dear City Councillors

Mr Kopp (Honorary Consul),

Dear citizens of Chemnitz,

dear pupils,

Exactly 80 years ago today, Soviet forces liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. The site is a cruel symbol of the systematic murder of millions of people: Jewish women, men and children, Sinti and Roma, people with disabilities, homosexuals and political prisoners. Auschwitz symbolises the racial mania that has shaped German history in the darkest way. But it also stands for the silence of those who saw the horror and knew about it, but did not act.

There are hardly any words that do justice to the horror, but there are the voices of those who survived it. They tell of hunger, humiliation, torture and loss. One survivor described how, as a child, she was forced to say goodbye to her mother before she was taken to the gas chamber. Her last memory of her was a look of fear and love. Just imagining that tears our hearts apart. Every time I hear such testimonies, tears come to my eyes - and anger creeps up. Anger that so many have looked the other way. Anger that people were capable of systematically dehumanising and murdering other people. And at the same time I feel a deep sense of powerlessness. How could they? How could it happen that neighbours became perpetrators and fellow human beings were degraded to nameless victims? Just another number in the seemingly endless terrain fenced in by barbed wire.

These questions remain agonising and unanswered.

There are fewer and fewer contemporary witnesses every year. Soon we will have to tell the story without their voices. The story that we cannot even imagine in our worst dreams. But it is all the more incumbent on us to keep these memories alive - not only to remember the victims, but to shape a future in which the values of humanity, dignity and freedom remain fully intact.

We have a responsibility to carry forward the lessons of this past and to anchor the oath "Never again" in our everyday actions.

Eight decades after the liberation of Auschwitz, we are experiencing a resurgence of anti-Semitism. Anti-Jewish incitement, violence and conspiracy theories are poisoning the social climate. In Germany, in Europe, indeed worldwide. This resurgence of hatred, which is even finding its way into political discourse, is an alarm signal that we must not ignore.

Our response must not be silence. Our response is to remember, to admonish, to educate, to lend our voice to the victims. But we must also listen to them and keep an eye on current developments. Democracy is not a natural state, it cannot be taken for granted. It must be lived and defended, every day anew. The silence that prevailed during the years of National Socialism must not be repeated. It is up to all of us to prevent this from happening and to take a clear stand. Against all forms of hatred and marginalisation. So when we go to the polls in a few weeks' time for the Bundestag elections, we must remember the victims of Auschwitz. The rise of right-wing extremism makes it clear to us that we must never let up in our defence of democracy and human dignity. Never again must National Socialists, right-wing extremists or racists bear responsibility in our country - never again must we tolerate acts of violence by such groups - our constitutional state must be vigilant and enforce the law.

This year, Chemnitz holds the title of European Capital of Culture. This means a special responsibility for us Chemnitz residents. Because remembrance is also culture. The question is how we commemorate. The question is what we do every day, when we disagree, how vehemently we counter resentment. Our responsibility is to create and preserve a society in which diversity and freedom are a matter of course. And our responsibility is not to remain silent. Because silence is consent - and that must never be allowed to happen. We must never stand idly by when contempt for humanity spreads.

Chemnitz, as a city of cultural change and renewal, stands for a Europe that has learnt from its history. Today, Europe is an area of freedom and human rights. But these achievements are fragile. We are called upon to take action to ensure that they are not lost. Education, dialogue and the promotion of critical awareness are crucial means of countering the trivialisation and falsification of history.


[Salutation],

May we cultivate a legacy of life, truth and reconciliation in the name of those who can no longer speak. Let us remember their names, their faces, their hopes and dreams that were never allowed to fly because of inhuman hatred. Let their stories become part of our responsibility.


Today shows us once again that our memories may be a bridge of hope - for us, for future generations and for a world in which human rights are never again called into question. By taking part in today's commemorative event, you are showing your attitude. Please continue to do so. Our honorary citizen Justin Sonder would have wished the same. He will be remembered in a film that the registered schools will watch afterwards. Thank you for your interest.

(The spoken word prevails)