Vienna (PK) – In the second part of the conference of the National Fund in the Parliament, entitled “Memory and Responsibility”, the main focus was on the question of how to organize the memory of the victims of National Socialism in Austria. the future. Oskar Deutsch, head of the Jewish community, Barbara Kluk, director of the concentration camp memorial, Andreas Kranebitter from the Archives of the Austrian Resistance, Susanne Janistyn-Novák, deputy director of the parliament, and Moritz Wein from the Ministry of Science participated in the panel. The discussion was moderated by Hannah Lessing (President of the National Fund). Ahead of the inaugural meeting, both Deutsch and Kranebitter spoke out against the election of a liberal politician as president of the National Council.
Philipp Auberger, Tabea Chaharlangi and Moritz Gemel provide exciting insights into the daily lives of memorial service providers, some of whom offer very personal reasons for their commitment. As part of a voluntary community year, they dealt with the history of National Socialism and the effects of persecution and discrimination in various places around the world.
Deutsch appealed to the 183 members of parliament to take the “right decision”.
Oskar Deutsch, head of the Jewish Community in Vienna (IKG), proposed that the National Fund be established immediately after the war in 1945. However, Austria ignored many initially, and it was only after the “famous speeches of Chancellor Vranitsky” in which he pointed out Austria’s role as the culprit, that the foundation for the establishment of the National Fund was laid. It was an important gesture, he judged, but not compensation; Because it can’t be. From October 7, 2023, IKG had to deal not only with the past, but above all with the present, according to Deutsch. Anti-Semitism comes from three sides, the right, the left, and the Islamists. Thus, he sees civil society being called upon to stand up against anti-Semitic tendencies everywhere, from taverns to football pitches. At the same time, he insisted, the “second person in the state” could not be from a “far-right party” because that would “mock the victims”. He therefore appealed to all MPs to take the “right decision”.
Andreas Gränipiter from the Archives of the Austrian Resistance points to increasingly specialized research and declining knowledge of National Socialism among the public. Especially considering the fact that 42% of people in surveys want an end to the debate about the Holocaust, the bridge with society needs to be done better. He also warned about the responsibility of institutions such as ministries, which must come to terms with their history. In addition, attention should be paid to all affected groups.
Like Deutsch, Kranebitter was concerned about the possible election of an FPÖ candidate to the post of National Council president, who heads the National Treasury. If that happens, “he won’t be sitting here anymore,” he declared. In his view, it is “hypocrisy” to speak to those who speak of the “globalists who rule the world”. Taking responsibility also means speaking out against certain habits.
Putting the culture of remembrance on a new foundation
Barbara Kluk, director of the Mauthausen concentration camp memorial, said it should not be forgotten that today’s memorials are for survivors of the Nazi regime. In order to reach as many people as possible, it is necessary to move even closer from your own “bubbles” and network. Although he was initially skeptical about the Tik Tok look, he is now determined to make more use of social media as well. The director of the concentration camp memorial said some of the videos have been viewed a million times.
Susanne Janistyn-Novák, Deputy Parliamentary Director, explained that she has been a member of the National Funding Committee since the beginning and that the interaction with Holocaust survivors from 40 countries has been particularly valuable and touching. Personal life stories should be further explored and told because, according to him, it is important to draw appropriate conclusions from them.
Moritz Wein, responsible for Holocaust education at the Ministry of Science, highlighted the important work of contemporary witnesses. 14 are still active, reaching 8,000 students a year by visiting educational institutions. The Ministry has been involved in the culture of remembrance for over 25 years and has developed a high level of expertise that can now be described as an example of best practice.
Conversations with memorial service providers about their personal experiences
Philipp Auberger said he was still a small child when he saw the former Mauthausen concentration camp for the first time on a hike with his grandparents. From this intense experience, he read a lot about the Holocaust and later decided to hold a memorial service at the Azrieli Foundation in Toronto. With contemporary witnesses unfortunately becoming fewer and fewer, he believes it is important to inform the lives of Holocaust victims using new methods. As an example, he cited a project from Montreal where young people could use AI to ask people questions in hologram form.
Tabe Saharlanki, who was at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem for his memorial service, also attributed his commitment to experiences in his youth. She was deeply moved by a trip to Israel with a children’s choir where Viennese songs were sung for Holocaust survivors. In the audience there were people around the same age as she was at the time who had been evicted from their homes. He personally benefited so much from the memorial service in Cape Town at the “Holocaust and Genocide Centre” that he could advise all young people to do the same, Moritz Gemel agreed with positive reports from two other memorial service providers. (End) case
Note: Photographs of this event and a review of past events can be found on Parliament’s web portal.
