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President of Nauru at the Auschwitz Memorial

The President of Nauru, Baron Waqa, visited the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum on November 21. This was the first visit of a representative of this republic in Micronesia to the former German concentration and extermination camp.

Within the area of the former Auschwitz I camp, Baron Waqa viewed the “Arbeit macht frei” gate, toured the expositions in Block 4 and 5 and paid tribute to the victims in the courtyard of Block 11. His time at the main camp finished with a visit to the building of the gas chamber and crematorium. In Birkenau, President of Nauru saw the Gate of Death, the place where selections of Jews took place as well as the ruins of devices of mass extermination.

“I am deeply saddened by the horror that I felt going through the death camp. This place reminds one of a cruelty that should never be repeated. I am deeply disturbed that innocent people suffered and died in such a wicked manner,” wrote Baron Waqa in the Museum guestbook.

Although the Auschwitz Memorial is mostly visited by people from Europe and North America, it is the universal significance of the symbolism of Auschwitz that testifies to the increasing number of visitors from all over the world. Last year the Museum was visited by 22 thousand people the region of Australia and Oceania.