Last Sunday, 25 January, the annual National Holocaust Remembrance took place in the Wertheim Park in the Plantage neighbourhood. During the well-attended ceremony, remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust was combined with reflections on current global developments. Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema and Linda Clewits, Chair of the Dutch Auschwitz Committee, spoke about the importance of remembrance at a time when antisemitism and fascism are once again on the rise.
In her speech at the Auschwitz Memorial, Mayor Halsema emphasised that the way societies protect children is a measure of their civilisation. She referred to contemporary situations around the world in which children are victims of war, hatred and oppression, drawing a direct connection to the history of the Holocaust. This connection is made tangible at the nearby National Holocaust Museum on Plantage Middenlaan, where nine life-sized photographs are displayed in the courtyard, depicting Jewish children murdered during the Second World War. One of them is Koenraad Huib Gezang, who was not yet one and a half years old when he was murdered in Sobibor. In total, one and a half million Jewish, Roma and Sinti children were killed during the Holocaust.
Halsema warned that crossing the boundaries of protecting children leads to the loss of humanity and civilisation. She quoted writer and Holocaust survivor Abel Herzberg, who said that it is not the children who are poor, but humanity itself. According to Halsema, the fate of these children obliges us to stand up whenever children are deprived of their freedom, safety or lives.
Linda Clewits also reflected on the changing world order. She recalled that Auschwitz was liberated 81 years ago by the Soviet army, then an ally in the fight against fascism. She contrasted this historical moment with the current geopolitical reality, in which that same power has become an aggressor. Clewits warned of the erosion of the international legal order, the growing influence of disinformation and the renewed spread of Holocaust denial, particularly through social media.
The commemoration in the Wertheim Park made clear that remembrance is not only about the past, but also about responsibility in the present: remaining vigilant, protecting fundamental values and standing up for humanity and justice.
Text ias been summarised from an article by Paul Vugts, from het Parool. Photo: Robin van Lonkhuijsen/ANP