From April 30 till May 2, 2016, the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial in Hamburg, Germany, invites descendants of former concentration camp prisoners, members of survivors associations, Memorial staff and organizations supporting their work as well as young adults and other interested individuals to the Forum “Future of Remembrance” (program) to discuss questions regarding the creation of a sustainable culture of remembering.
Tom Devos, N.C.P.G.R. – Meensel-Kiezegem ’44:
„I hope to meet likeminded spirits to share thoughts on ensuring the future of remembrance, with a focus on digital opportunities.”
Uta Kühl, German Mauthausen Comitee:
„I am motivated, first of all, by wanting to learn more about my family history, make myself be seen, talk about my family history, having the permission to join a constructive discussion, to get involved and to fight for making my childhood dream – making the name of my father who was a survivor of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp – visible.“
Jean-Michel Gaussot, President of the Amicale Internationale de Neuengamme and Secretary General of the Amicale française de Neuengamme:
„I think the organization of this Forum is an excellent initiative. It will allow participants to learn to know each other and establish or strengthen personal ties, which will certainly be beneficial to future international cooperation. It will also offer an opportunity to explore means of reinforcing, in particular, the collaboration between survivors associations and the Neuengamme Memorial.“
Wiebke Elias, member of the freelance staff of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial and facilitator for the project for young adults „Welcher spielt denn hier?“ („What movie is playing now?“):
„I am foremost looking forward to the discussions with people who deal very differently with their history. That the young adults can also reflect on their family histories and participate in the discussion, is quite cool and important!“
Yvonne Cossu-Alba, former President of the Amicale française de Neuengamme:
„I attended the Forum “Future of Remembrance last year. We began discussing about our knowledge of the past, why we wanted to exchange about it, how it could help making a better future. I feel it was just the starting point of a longer exchange which will probably be more fruitful now that we have begun building bridges and establishing mutual under-standing. We can then go straight to the
heart of the matter.
I am really keen on participating again this year and hope that last year experience and our friendly links will help us be even more efficient this year. We are just at the beginning of a long story which, hopefully, will be continued by the younger generations.“
Nicola Iversen, participant of the project „Welcher Film spielt denn hier?“ („What film is playing now?“):
„I hope that the Forum will offer many opportunities to exchange ideas with so many different people. I am very much looking forward to the opportunity to spend three days with people of different backgrounds with different stories and to be able to discuss and work with them. I am curious about all this things I will learn and experience.“
Ulrich Gantz, Friends of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial:
„I still feel shy about joining the celebrations on the occasion of the liberation of the camp and the end of the war as a son of a perpetrator. On the other hand, I am looking forward to meeting people I have gotten to know over the last years who have become dear to my heart.“
