Recalling the 8th May 1945 at Hamburg City Hall: A Vital Reminder
Mark the 80-year commemoration of concluding the war within Hamburg's municipal building - Eight Decades of Persistent Conflict in Hamburg
Mark the date - 8th May 1945 - a day of liberation from the tyranny of Nazism. Members of SPD, CDU, Greens, and Left, gathered in Hamburg, pulse of the past and present, to pay their respects at the city's Stumbling Stones, set against the backdrop of Hamburg City Hall.
Isabella Vértes-Schütter (SPD) addressed the gathering, her voice resonating with solemnity, "The 8th of May teases us with the cruel contrast of freedom's enduring value and the horror that once gripped our world. The memory of Hamburg's martyred parliamentarians, marginalized, hunted down, murdered by the Nazis, serves as a stark reminder of the dark forces that lurk when we fail to stand up for our democratic values."
Lena Zagst, a Green politician, echoed her sentiments, "Eighty years later, peace and democracy may seem the norm. But in these challenging times of escalating anti-Semitism, racism, and creeping right-wing ideologies, our resolve to defend an open and democratic Hamburg must be stronger than ever."
Democracy, a precious commodity, isn't guaranteed. CDU politician Dietrich Wersich sounded the alarm, "Here we stand, united as parliamentarians, with a responsibility to learn from the past and shape the future, a future where such barbarism can never rear its ugly head again. By tending to the Stumbling Stones, we remember the victims and honor the brave men and women who stood up against oppression."
Deniz Celik, Left parliamentarian, underscored the importance of staying vigilant, "The phrase 'Never again war, never again fascism' is more than a historical slogan for us. In the face of the empowerment of the AfD, the rise of authoritarian thinking, and the surge of nationalist hate speech, it is crucial for us to take a clear stance. Our reaction to historical amnesia and right-wing hate must be solidarity, anti-fascism, and active preservation of peace."
In the plenary hall, author Nora Bossong delivered the commemorative speech, while Carola Veit, Parliament President, warned of the dangers of historical revisionism and the growing tide of right-wing populism, distorting historical facts and fueling a dangerous reversal of perpetrators and victims.
- Nazism
- Hamburg
- SPD
- CDU
- Democracy
- War's end
- Stumbling Stone
- Holocaust
- Right-wing extremism
- World War II
- Memory
- Alliance 90/The Greens
The Stumbling Stones, poignant reminders of the victims lost, serve as a powerful symbol of the past, a warning for the present, and a beacon for the future. By tending to these stones, we pay tribute to the victims and commit ourselves to the tireless pursuit of peace and freedom.
- The Stumbling Stones in Hamburg, erected in memory of the Holocaust victims, are poignant reminders of the dark forces that lurk when we fail to stand up for our democratic values, as Isabella Vértes-Schütter (SPD) emphasized.
- In commemoration of the 8th May 1945 and the liberation from Nazism, politicians from SPD, CDU, Greens, and Left, gathered in Hamburg, reminding us that democracy isn't guaranteed and requires constant tending.
- Eighty years after the end of World War II, Lena Zagst, a Green politician, voiced concerns about the rise of right-wing extremism, emphasizing the need for a strong resolve to defend an open and democratic Hamburg.
- While honoring the victims and the brave men and women who stood up against oppression, CDU politician Dietrich Wersich warned that the past must be learned from to shape a future where such barbarism can never resurface.
