PRESS RELEASE
65 years after their liberation many Auschwitz survivors are living in poverty and isolation
Foundation EVZ provides EUR 2.2 million in 2010 to fund projects for victims of National Socialism
Berlin, 21.01.2010 – This year, 65 years after the end of World War II, the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” is setting aside one third of its funding budget for humanitarian projects to benefit surviving victims of National Socialism, especially in Central and Eastern Europe and in Israel. A further EUR 400,000 is earmarked for encounters between eyewitnesses and pupils. This financial support will also enable victims to attend commemorative events marking the end of the war and the liberation of the concentration camps. “This year is the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. But as we remember this event, we must not forget the elderly survivors, many of whom are traumatised. The projects will focus on overcoming their isolation and engendering respect and recognition for their life achievements”, said Dr Martin Salm, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation. Günter Saathoff from the Foundation’s Board of Directors explains: “For us, commitment to the survivors means first and foremost helping them cope with the often difficult circumstances in which they live and keeping alive the memory of their suffering.“
In its tenth year, the Foundation EVZ has teamed up with the Buchenwald Memorial Site to organise an international exhibition on the theme “Forced labour under National Socialism”. The exhibition will be premiered this autumn at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. In the spring, the new-look Learning from History internet portal, operated and redesigned with Foundation support, will be presented to the public. The online archive www.zwangsarbeit-archiv.de, developed on behalf of the Foundation by the Freie Universität in Berlin, offers access to a total of 600 interviews and will also feature tips for educators on using the website in the classroom.
Each year, the Foundation EVZ makes around EUR 6.7 million available to support international projects in its activity areas - A critical examination of history, Working for human rights, and Commitment to the victims of National Socialism.
Contact
Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future"
Head of Press and Public Relations
Franka Kuehn
Lindenstr. 20-25
10969 Berlin
Phone +49 (0)30 259297-76
Mobile +49 (0)174 980 14 24
Email kuehn@stiftung-evz.de
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