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Prime Minister of Belgium along with European youth visit the Auschwitz Memorial Site
On May 8th, Prime Minister of Belgium, Elio Di Rupo, visited the Auschwitz Memorial Site and Museum. During his visit, he met with a thousand members group of European youth. 720 Belgians and 280 representatives of other European countries set off May 5th on a special train from the Schaerbeek station, which, during the Second World War, Nazis used to deport the Jews during the Holocaust.
For two days, young people visited the grounds of the former German Nazi concentration and extermination camp of Auschwitz. The visit to the authentic Memorial Site was to be, above all, an important lesson of history and of what was the leading violation of human rights.
“In recent years, Belgium has made enormous efforts to raise awareness of its history of World War II. We have developed a curriculum and have also created a new museum in Mechelen (Malines), where many Belgium Jews were deported during the Holocaust. Educational efforts reflect the vision of building a shared historical consciousness in a country that is so culturally and linguistically diverse and which is today a central point in a united Europe,” said Museum Director Dr. Piotr M.A. Cywinski.
As was written by the organisers of the trip, the presence of young people at the Auschwitz Memorial Site is also an expression of their opposition to any kind of contemporary forms of extremism.
The official Belgian delegation visited Museum grands and part of the museum exhibition, including the Belgian exhibition, which is located in bloc 20. At the monument within the area of the former camp of Auschwitz II-Birkenau, Prime Minister Di Rupo, together with the youth, paid homage to the victims of Auschwitz.
The Prime Minister, speaking to thousands of young people from across Europe, said: “Dear young friends, the entire future is ahead of you. I refer to these qualities, which are the best in you, which are the most beautiful: to a sense of equality, freedom, solidarity, tolerance, respect for everyone. Never listen to those that scream their hatred, that stigmatise specific groups of people that they hate and those that are convinced about the fact that they know the ultimate truth. Be sceptical and use common sense, add to it some magnanimity and have an open mind. Tell yourself that solutions to problems should always be sought together, above and beyond any differences. We have confidence in you, the youth, high hopes. In this place, which symbolises hatred and fanaticism, you represent a fraternal and peaceful future.
The Belgian Prime Minister was accompanied by, among others, Jan Deboutte, the present chairman of the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research. On March 6th, Belgium took over leadership of the organisations that bring together governments and associations from 31 countries of the world, including Poland, which care for victims of the Holocaust.
In 2011, 11 600 people from Belgium visited the Auschwitz Memorial Site. The country also supported the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation Perpetual Fund. The Fund has already reached EUR 450 000 of the declared sum of EUR 500 000.
Before the German occupation in Belgium, there lived approx. 90 thousand Jews. To escape the Germans, about 30 thousand fled the country, and a further 8 thousand were expelled to France by the German occupation authorities. 24 906 Jews were deported from Belgium to Auschwitz, mainly from the camps in Malines (Mechelen) and Breendonk. Nearly 17 thousand were killed in the gas chambers immediately after selection, and 7948 were registered in the camp. Only 1335 people returned to Belgium.
