PRESS RELEASE

65th anniversary of the end of the war – Foundation EVZ supports visits from victims of National Socialism

258 survivors take part in commemorative events

Berlin, 4 May 2010 – Financial support provided by the Foundation EVZ will enable 258 eyewitnesses to attend ceremonies at former concentration camps marking their liberation 65 years ago. The Foundation is helping cover the costs of travel and meals for the former inmates, many of whom are making their journeys from Eastern Europe, Israel and the USA.

This could well be the last major opportunity to join with camp survivors at National Socialist memorial sites in Germany to commemorate the end of war and Nazi tyranny 65 years ago. In the coming years, fewer and fewer eyewitnesses will be able to travel to Germany and tell us about their experiences. In the words of Günter Saathoff, Member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation EVZ: “For decades, many victims of National Socialism have been unable to speak about their suffering. Now, the encounters with the younger generation mean they are not left alone with their memories. And the young people experience authentic, oral history. Through our support, we want to keep this living channel of communication between the generations open as long as possible.”

This year, the Foundation EVZ is providing EUR 290,000 for the ENCOUNTERS WITH EYEWITNESSES programme. These funds will primarily be used to support memorial sites, civic initiatives and schools that are inviting witnesses of National Socialist injustice to visit Germany in the coming months.

Since 2002, the Foundation EVZ has supported 630 encounter projects with funding of EUR 3.8 million. Around 4,900 survivors of National Socialism have taken part in the projects.

Contact
Franka Kühn
Press and Public relations
Lindenstr. 20-25
10969 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0)30 259297-76
Fax: +49 (0)30 259297-11
kuehn@stiftung-evz.de