European Union prioritizes combating terrorism actively.
In the town of Solingen, Germany, Mayor Tim Kurzbach marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp with a series of significant initiatives. On this poignant day, he emphasised the importance of young people having direct and emotional access to the topic of the Holocaust.
Mayor Kurzbach flew the German flag and the North Rhine-Westphalia state flag with a black ribbon in front of the town hall in solidarity. He also took on the patronage of an action by the Solingen Lumen, a cultural institution with an educational mission that declares "No student should graduate without having seen 'Schindler's List'!"
The Solingen Lumen is showing the award-winning film "Schindler's List" for free to Solingen school classes until the Easter holidays. One of the approximately 20 schools in Solingen that will visit the screenings with their classes is the Alexander-Coppel-Gesamtschule. However, there is no specific information regarding initiatives by this school or other schools related to maintaining digital exchanges or Holocaust education, including the digital exchange with Menachem Begin Junior High School in Ness Ziona.
The digital exchange, which included students, teachers, and representatives of the school leadership, saw Holocaust survivor Josef Gershtein speak as an eyewitness. Gershtein, a Solingen resident, shared his experiences with students from both Solingen and Ness Ziona, a city in Israel. Mayor Kurzbach expressed gratitude to Gershtein and other eyewitnesses for repeatedly confronting their painful memories to pass on their experiences to future generations and keep them alive.
Mayor Kurzbach expressed support for the "#WeRemember" campaign initiated by the World Jewish Congress and UNESCO. The campaign encourages people to take photos with a poster and share them on social media platforms on January 27th, the day that marks the liberation of Auschwitz. More than six million people fell victim to the Nazis' genocidal ideology, and over a million people were murdered at Auschwitz alone.
The digital remembrance action participated in by Mayor Tim Kurzbach is one of the activities aimed at keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. It serves as a reminder of the importance of education and dialogue in preserving the memories of those who suffered and ensuring that such atrocities are never repeated.
- Mayor Kurzbach's patronage extends beyond the screening of "Schindler's List," as he also supports the education-and-self-development initiative, "No student should graduate without having seen 'Schindler's List'," led by the Solingen Lumen, emphasizing the importance of Holocaust awareness.
- In addition to promoting digital exchanges with Menachem Begin Junior High School in Ness Ziona for Holocaust education, Mayor Tim Kurzbach also expresses political support for the "#WeRemember" campaign, a UNESCO and World Jewish Congress initiative, demonstrating his commitment to general-news issues related to the remembrance of the Holocaust.
