On his one-day trip to Poland, visited the Federal foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, the former German Nazi extermination camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau – as the first chief diplomat from Germany for 26 years.
Foreign Minister Maas (m.) with the Auschwitz Survivors Marian Turski (in light blue jacket)
Arrived “at the most horrible place in the world” – so Heiko Maas described the former German extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Right at the gate with the cynical phrase – “work makes you free” – was Maas greeted friendly by a 92-year-old Auschwitz Survivor. Marian Turski in Poland is a kind of moral authority, a witness, recalled from his own memory of the Unimaginable. He accompanied the German foreign Minister in his visit to Auschwitz – he says – because he treasures him because of his personal Motivation. “I have become because of Auschwitz politicians,” said Maas once about his political career.
The two steps took place slowly through the dusty terrain, the barbed wire along the death wall, where over 70 years ago, an “unprecedented rupture in Civilization” – as German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the place once. Over a Million people were murdered in Auschwitz systematically, mainly European Jews, were victims of the industrially organized extermination machinery. Marian Turski was lucky, he says. At the ramp in Birkenau standing, he told the German SPD politician of his key moments, and the scenes that follow it: as the Nazis have daily selected people in the “live value” and “not worth living”. Later, the Survivors will be the foreign Minister is right: “anyone Who comes to Auschwitz, has more questions than answers.”
Heiko Maas, and Marian Turski, prior to the laying of a wreath at the death wall
So Maas feels, especially after the visit to several blocks in the Auschwitz main camp. Where, at the time, prisoners were housed, is today the industry of death to see in Detail: mountains of shoes, which removed the people on their way to death, personal items, tooth brushes, hair combs, artificial prostheses, and tons of hair that were shaved off. “It’s hard to put into words,” Maas said later. “This is the most horrible place in the world.”
The foreign Minister is visibly touched as he leaves the small building with a fireplace, with his Delegation – the only surviving gas chamber. He takes a deep breath, and then sits down at the table with the memorial book in front of the special construction. “Hell on earth – she was the German creation called Auschwitz,” he writes. And further: “We need this place, because our responsibility never ends.”
Each Time a special trip
In November 1977, a high-ranking Chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, came as the first German politician to the place of horror. “Actually, this place requires silence. But I am sure that the German Chancellor should not be silent,” he said in his still – remarkable current speech. Schmidt spoke of the guilt and responsibility of the Germans for the million-fold murder during 2. World war and what it would mean for the younger generations.
Helmut Schmidt visited Auschweitz in 1977 as a Federal Chancellor
In Auschwitz clearly won’t, so Schmidt at the time that “history is only a causal chain of events, but that the responsibility and blame belong to it”. Schmidt’s words continue to shape German policy. If Heiko Maas speaks to us today as a representative of the postwar generation about the German responsibility, you hardly notice that between his and Helmut Schmidt’s words, decades.
Visits of German politicians to the former extermination camp of Auschwitz-not Birkenau often and they are never Routine – characteristics. According to Schmidt and Helmut Kohl was Chancellor of Auschwitz. Meanwhile, the German Federal President will take part in all the ten years of celebrations on the occasion of the anniversaries of the liberation of Auschwitz. 50 years later, Roman Herzog, on the spot, 60 years later, Horst Köhler, 70, Joachim Gauck. Maas is an exception, because he comes in without a specific reason, but rather out of personal need.
“These thoughts stay with me forever”
He talks about it after the visit in Auschwitz-Birkenau with young people in the nearby International meeting place. To him, a group of apprentices from Germany and Poland who participated in a youth project in Auschwitz and some of the young German diplomat contender is waiting.
A girl tells of her work in the victims shoes in the exhibition, as well as personal items of the Murdered clean. “Behind every part of a Drama. This is really quite moving,” she says. Lukasz from Poland worked against the barbed wire, which must be renewed on the grounds of the former concentration Camps every ten years. He imagine how people felt back then if you wanted to flee and in the wire under high voltage failed. “It shocked me,” says Lukasz. “I wanted to understand how Hitler could come to Power,” says a young German, Adrian, and makes it clear that these thoughts stay with him “forever”.
Heiko Maas was sitting in the middle of the room, stopped and wanted to talk. Much rather he just listened in, similar to the guided tour through the memorial with Marian Turski. When he is asked for his own impressions, he says: “Difficult. I encounter ultimately my personal Doubts about God, my distrust of people.” Then he listens to more, as a young German project supervisor talks about the participants: most of them are between the ages of 16 and 18, and have “often the feeling that you treat the subject in the school, but it lack an authentic place and the personal experience”. Only a few would get access to the topic by their families. In the case of encounters with time witnesses “you get a sense of why we should get involved at all for the memory”.
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A Holocaust Survivor tells
Whether or not I should be – this question falls in the room. “As long as there are people who call this terrible time, as the bird shit, we need to talk about it and ensure that the memory remains a Wake-up call,” says Niklas from Germany.
The search for the right Remember
At the end of the conversation turns away from the history and the reality in Europe. What would expect Maas of young people today, someone wants to know. “You should not underestimate your possibilities!” Had to be louder compared to the everyday racism, the youth that has your networks on Social Media, be asked. Umfassbar, racists and populists are much better on the road, as the majority, for democracy, Maas. Democracy is not, of course, you can’t see the “only in Germany but also in Europe, in society, in the media and in Parliament,” says the Diplomat.
In the face of rising racism and anti-Semitism, the call for duty came up recently in Germany visiting student from Germany in the KZ-Camps. As the external asked the Minister at a joint press conference with his Polish colleague Jacek Czaputowicz then, he rejects the idea. “I am very much in favour of Auschwitz from as many people as possible will be visited. But it should be an Autonomous decision of each Individual, says the Minister. If this works in 10, 20 years? So far, the visitor numbers increase steadily each year. In 2017, there were more than 2 million. “Who’s the eyes before the Events closes, the risk that the past is repeated! The future needs to Remember that!” Heiko Maas writes spontaneously in the guestbook of the youth meeting place, before he leaves you.