We remember. Not only on January 27

Khrystyna
ASF volunteer from Ukraine at the Protestant Reconciliation Church in the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site

Remembering the crimes of the Nazis remains important to this day. It shows us that crimes against humanity are not mere accidents, but the result of decisions, ideology, and indifference. In today’s world, wars and conflicts are once again being justified with propaganda, denial of responsibility, and the devaluation of human life. History helps us to recognize these dangerous tendencies. It makes it clear how urgent it is today to take responsibility and show solidarity with the victims of war and oppression.

In my work at the Protestant Church of Reconciliation at the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, I am confronted daily with the history of Nazi crimes through the stories of survivors, historical testimonies, and the reactions of visitors. I find my work here meaningful and motivating: I can see how remembrance inspires reflection, empathy, and commitment to the prevention of violence and injustice in today’s world.

Daniel
ASF volunteer at the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem

At Yad Vashem, I am constantly learning new things about how the crimes of the Nazis are remembered in the land of the survivors. Of course, this is very different from what I have experienced in Europe.

I see Yad Vashem primarily as a place for personal remembrance. A place where people can mourn relatives or friends who do not have their own graves.

The focus is on the victims of the Shoah as individuals with their own stories, with the right to be remembered as human beings and not just as part of a group of victims. That is why Yad Vashem collects the names of all those who were murdered in order to give them “a memorial and a name” (in Hebrew: Yad Va Shem).

All the Jewish communities that were wiped out are also remembered. Here, in the “Valley of the Communities,” I discovered the name of my own birthplace in Swabia on a memorial stone – which brings the Holocaust much closer to my life.

How is the Shoah remembered in Israel? This is reflected in the architecture of the museum: at the beginning, visitors walk slightly downhill on cold concrete floors – down into the catastrophe. At the end, you walk back onto carpeted floors and slightly uphill to a viewing platform that offers a great view of the Jerusalem mountains. Here, I see that the Shoah is not the end of the history of the Jewish people. Despite all the conflicts and violence to this day, there is something comforting in that.

Carol Deutsch’s Bible illustrations are among my favorite pieces at Yad Vashem. In the middle of World War II, the Belgian artist created 99 colorful pictures so that his two-year-old daughter would never forget her Jewish identity. This shows that Jews were not victims in the Shoah, but maintained their culture and faith even (or especially) under the most difficult conditions.

The most important day of remembrance in Israel is not January 27, but Yom HaShoah. A statement by a contemporary witness always comes to mind: she said that once a year, everyone is interested in her story – and then for a whole year, no one is. For her, every day is Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Because she wakes up every day with the memory of her murdered parents.

I have been doing voluntary service at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem for a good four months now. At one of the world’s most important Holocaust memorial sites, I am constantly learning new things, including about Israel’s culture of remembrance of the Shoah. Naturally, the land of the survivors commemorates Nazi crimes differently than I had previously experienced in Europe.

First and foremost, I see Yad Vashem as a place for personal remembrance. A place where people can mourn relatives or friends who do not have their own graves

The focus is on the victims of the Shoah as individuals. The emphasis is less on mass murder and more on many individual Jews, each with their own story. And all with the right to be remembered as human beings and not just as part of a group of victims. That is why Yad Vashem has made it its mission to collect the names of all those murdered in order to give them “a memorial and a name” (in Hebrew: Yad Va Shem). A good five million names have already been researched and can be found in the “Book of Names.”

All the Jewish communities that were wiped out are also commemorated. This allows each visitor to find a personal connection. When I discover my own birthplace in the “Valley of the Communities,” it brings the Holocaust closer to my life.

How is the Shoah commemorated in Israel? Another interesting answer can be found in the architecture of the Holocaust Museum. At the beginning, visitors walk slightly downhill on cold concrete floors—down into the catastrophe. At the end of the exhibition, they walk back onto carpeted floors and slightly uphill to a viewing platform that offers a great view of the Jerusalem mountains. Here, I see that the Shoah is not the end of the history of the Jewish people. The founding of the state three years after the end of the Shoah is certainly not a “happy ending.” But there is undoubtedly something comforting about it. Unlike in Europe, where Jewish life often ceased to exist with the Shoah, at Yad Vashem you can see: Am Israel Chai, the people of Israel live.

How the Shoah is connected to Zionism and the founding of the State of Israel cannot be learned at Yad Vashem, but rather experienced by walking the “Interconnecting Path” that leads to Mount Herzl. On the “Mountain of Remembrance,” in addition to Yad Vashem, there are also the graves of the most important leaders of the Zionist movement, the graves of fallen Israeli soldiers, and other memorials. The choice of location alone creates a national narrative that ranges from the first Zionists to the Shoah to the fallen of recent wars. As an outsider, I find this very exciting to observe.

A recently opened exhibition in the synagogue at Yad Vashem on the Jewish calendar tells stories of persecuted people who celebrated important festivals despite everything, whether in camps, in hiding, or on the run. This reminds me of the six hostages who celebrated Hanukkah together in the tunnels under Gaza in December 2023.

This makes it clear that Jewish tradition has always given people strength and is also a form of remembrance.

Many of the aspects of Israeli remembrance culture described here are, of course, unique to the land of the survivors. Nevertheless, I believe that German remembrance work can also draw inspiration from them. Showing Jewish life instead of (only) Jewish death and restoring to each victim the humanity that the Nazis tried to eradicate – for me, these are two of Yad Vashem’s remarkable approaches.

The most important day of remembrance in Israel is not January 27, but Yom HaShoah (this year on April 14). However, a conversation with a contemporary witness remains particularly in my mind on such days. She said that one day everyone is interested in her story – and then for a whole year they are not. For her, every day is Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Because she wakes up every day with the memory of her murdered parents

Emma and Margalit
ASF volunteers from the Netherlands and the USA at the Neuengamme Memorial, Hamburg

Do memorials always have to be made of stone or metal?

The Place of Connection in Neuengamme is not convinced!

This project was initiated by relatives of former prisoners in Neuengamme. We believe it is a unique example of living memory that focuses on interaction, DIY, and art.

The relatives designed posters of their family members, which were then converted into plexiglass printing plates. A printing press was set up on the grounds of the memorial site, where relatives and visitors can print their own posters.

They can then hang these posters in Neuengamme or take them home with them. In this way, the memory of the former prisoners lives on outside the memorial site.

At the request of families from all over the world, we print the posters to commemorate their relatives.