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United Kingdom joins the countries that support the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation
The government of the United Kingdom will support the Perpetual Fund of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation with £ 2,15 million. The decision was announced on Thursday May 26 by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, during the meeting with young students in the Jewish Museum of London. United Kingdom is another country to make an official declaration of support for the Foundation.
The decision of the Prime Minister, David Cameron’s government brings the Foundation a step closer to fulfilling its goal – collecting €120 million. The income from the Fund will allow to cover the costs of the preservation works on the site of the former German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Death Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.
— This announcement will ensure that when young people visit Auschwitz, they will see what can happen when racism and prejudice is allowed to go unchecked — said Lord Janner, Chairman of the Holocaust Educational Trust, a British organization which is engaged in learning about the Shoah that helped the Foundation during the negotiations. — The Holocaust Educational Trust has urged the UK Government to provide financial support for the upkeep of the site for some time and today’s commitment of £ 2.15 million sends a clear message that we have a responsibility to safeguard the future of the camp — said Lord Janner.
Director General of the Foundation, Jacek Kastelaniec, after his recent visit to Rome, hopes that Italy will be the next country to announce the decision of joining the project. It will almost conclude the list of the largest European countries to have their representation in the International Committee – an advisory body that consists of the representatives of the donor countries. — Among the six largest countries of the European Union it is only our French partner that we have to convince to join our project — said Kastelaniec.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation was established in 2009. Its aim is to amass the sum of €120 million on the Perpetual Fund. The income from the Fund will allow to cover the costs of conservation works in the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in the next decades. So far the Foundation has collected declaration of financial support for over € 80 million.
