European Parliament hosts Yom HaShoah commemoration with Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation

On the occasion of Yom HaShoah, the Jewish calendar’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, Vice-President Sabine Verheyen, Vice-President Pina Picierno and Member of the European Parliament Oliver Schenk, together with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, hosted a special commemoration at the European Parliament.

Held in the days surrounding Yom HaShoah, the commemoration aimed to honour the victims of the Holocaust and to underline the responsibility of European institutions to preserve the memory of the Shoah. At a time when the willingness to remember is fading and public attention is increasingly fragmented, the organisers stressed the importance of keeping that memory alive and warning against the dangers of dehumanisation, antisemitism and indifference.

“Thousands of people took part in the March of the Living from Auschwitz to Birkenau yesterday. Here in the European Parliament, too, we must speak about history, pass on its lessons and warn against the dangers of antisemitism, so that this threat never returns,” First Vice-President Sabine Verheyen stated. She underlined that the European Parliament stands firmly against hatred of Jews in Europe and remains determined to confront antisemitism in all its forms.

“It is our commitment to combat antisemitism in Europe with all the means at our disposal. That is why we worked across political groups to bring the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation to the European Parliament. This initiative like no other allows participants to experience this visit virtually and engage directly with guides on site. It is truly a unique learning experience and remembrance opportunity at once” - First Vice-President Sabine Verheyen said.

“Remembrance is never abstract. It becomes real when we see the names on the suitcases, the shoes of the victims and the traces of lives that were destroyed. Auschwitz shows us what happens when people are stripped of their dignity and reduced to numbers. Remembering the Shoah is therefore not only a moral duty; it is also a political responsibility. A democratic Europe can only remain strong if it defends historical truth, confronts antisemitism and rejects every attempt to relativise or forget the crimes of the Holocaust. To turn away from remembrance would be to turn away from the very foundations of our democracy” - Member of the European Parliament Oliver Schenk stated.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation welcomed the opportunity to bring the memory of the Memorial Site into the European Parliament and stressed the importance of education and remembrance in preventing hatred and intolerance.

“Auschwitz is not only a place of memory, but also a warning. Every generation must understand that hatred, exclusion and antisemitism do not begin with violence, but with words, indifference and the denial of human dignity. We are grateful to bring this message to the European Parliament together with our partners,” Wojciech Soczewica, Director-General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, said.

“Auschwitz symbolizes the deepest fall of European civilization, against which the entire post-war European community’s efforts were built and the European Union was founded. Those who stand before the remains of Auschwitz should have a clear understanding of this. Democracy, human dignity, and freedom can never be taken for granted. Our task is not only to preserve the site but also to preserve the truth and pass it on people who are willing to listen to shape their moral responsiblities today,” said Dr Piotr Cywiński, Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum.

The organisers reaffirmed their commitment to continue working actively to identify, combat and prevent antisemitism, regardless of where it comes from.

The event featured a live guided virtual tour of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz. Participants were guided in real time by an educator thanks to “Auschwitz. In Front of your Eyes” platform, drawing on historical material, survivor testimonies and live images from both Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau sites. Throughout the event, participants had the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with the guide.”