On the occasion of the 80-year-old celebrations at the end of the war and the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp, Ellen Germain also traveled to Vienna to the memorial events. The long-term diplomat has been the special envoy of the US government in Holocaust questions for four years. The “Krone” met her for an interview for today’s event in Mauthausen.
“Krone”: Do you also have a family history connected to the Holocaust?
Yes, my grandparents’ family comes from Eastern Europe and many of them died in the Holocaust. When I started investigating in the 1990s, I came across it. There is a Jewish myth that you only really die if someone was sitting your name. And the names of the brothers of my great grandfather, Shlomo and Yoshiki Gottfried, nobody had spoken sound for many years.
How do you experience memorial days like this in Mauthausen?
Such memorial celebrations remind me of how important my work is. At the same time, they motivate me to use a certain degree of justice for survivors of Holocaust and by working on completing open refund and compensation problems for the Nazis who robbed real estate during the Holocaust.
When was your first visit to a concentration camp?
1991 or 1992 in Dachau. With a Jewish girlfriend whose father survived the Holocaust. Her father was not in Dachau, but in other concentration camps. After our visit to Dachau we sat together during dinner and I remember how I viewed this man. I thought: here is a survivor who managed to live on – something that was not possible for many.
Is there a story that made a sustainable impression?
Yes, there is a story that always moves me deeply. A survivor said she was in a women’s barracks as a young girl, about 15 or 16 years old. She was the youngest among about 100 women who were all hungry and dead. But these women decided to give her a little crumbs of her already scarce bread part every day. They said to her: “You are the youngest of us. You have the best chances to survive. You have to survive and tell our story.” This small but important gesture saved her life. For me this story shows that even in the darkest moments of humanity the best in us is sometimes visible.
They also speak with students and students, and I know that many no longer touch the subject. Europe is currently experiencing a huge shift to the right. Are you worried?
A goal of my work is that people understand the Holocaust and learn from them. How can a group of people do something else? But it is also about pulling teachings for the future – to prevent such atrocities from ever happening. “Never again” should not remain an empty promise.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
