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Great Britain to Support Auschwitz Memorial
Prime Minister David Cameron has stated that the United Kingdom will financially support the Perpetual Fund of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation in maintaining the grounds and buildings at the site of the German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp Auschwitz. Asked in the House of Commons about support for the Fund, Cameron answered in the affirmative and went on to add that “Auschwitz-Birkenau is a very powerful reminder of the ultimate consequences of intolerance, and it is only right that it should be preserved to bear witness to the deaths of the millions of victims who perished there and to act as a stark reminder of man's inhumanity to man."
Commenting on the declaration, Museum Director Piotr M.A. Cywiński noted that Britain initiated a large-scale education project several years ago in which tens of thousands of young Britons have come to see Auschwitz with their own eyes. “In this context the understanding on the part of British decision makers of the enormous role of the authenticity of the Memorial in maintaining memory and in the education of future generations should be greeted with acknowledgement.”
Nor did Jacek Kastelaniec, Director General of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, conceal his satisfaction. His task is to raise funds for maintaining the grounds of the former camp. “We are pleased that further countries are demonstrating their understanding of the necessity of preserving the unique authenticity of the place, which is so important for the world heritage. Thanks to this project future generations will be able to take action in a more conscious way against racism, antisemitism, and all symptoms of hatred.”
The task of the Foundation, which has operated for less than two years, is raising €120 million for a Perpetual Fund, that will generate annual interest of several million euro and thus make it possible to plan and systematically implement essential conservation work on the original remains of the camp.
On December 15, 2010, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle and representatives of the German Federal States signed an agreement with the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation on a German contribution of €60 million to the fund, half from the Federal government and half from the states, which will be paid to the Foundation in five equal annual installments beginning in 2011.
Aside from Germany, only Austria and the United States have so far committed serious sums to the Perpetual Fund. Several other countries have made smaller contributions. A total of €80 million has been raised in this way, a figure that still falls €40 million short of the level required to ensure the planned, systematic coverage of essential conservation needs.
