International Holocaust Remembrance Day – Commemorative Event in Hann. Münden

It is not a mandatory event, but a commitment to responsibility, to drawing lessons from history – better yet: a touchstone for anchoring human dignity in the present and future. Holocaust Memorial Day commemorates one of the darkest phases of human barbarism, which fortunately came to an end with the liberation of Auschwitz; a glimmer of hope for a better future. Is the history of humanity one of war and violence or one of charity and hope? Since 1945, there have been numerous turning points for the better, but also some setbacks. The year 2026 has begun. It seems to be a year that raises more questions than it provides answers on numerous political and social levels. Indifferent powerlessness or active engagement for democracy? Holocaust Memorial Day is increasingly becoming a measure of self-reflection. The city of Hann. Münden invites you: January 27, 2026, from 6 PM Memorial speeches at the stele on the south side of the town hall by Mayor Tobias Dannenberg, Sarah Heerlein, and Stefan Schäfer Silent remembrance Following at Corvinushaus: Presentation "Power of Evil – Strength of Reconciliation" An educational trip took Stefan Schäfer to Łódź, Poland, for a week in September 2025. After the Wehrmacht's invasion of Poland, Łódź, as it was called by the German minority living there, was renamed Litzmannstadt and incorporated into the German Reich. Previously, Polish, Yiddish, German, and Russian were spoken in the vibrant industrial metropolis. In 1940, the German occupiers established the Jewish ghetto Litzmannstadt in the middle of the city. This was followed by the establishment of the Kulmhof extermination camp not far from Łódź and the gradual evacuation of the ghetto. Mass murder began in December 1941. Litzmannstadt was to become something like a "German model city." On January 1, 1926, Leon Weintraub was born in Łódź. In 1940, he and his Jewish family were placed in the ghetto before being deported to Auschwitz in 1944. By a miracle, he survived the Shoah. With indomitable energy and vitality, he stands to this day as a witness for keeping the memory alive, but also for understanding. We had the privilege of experiencing him in our city in November 2024. Through him, an unforgettable journey was created that not only provided insights into the horror of barbarism but also showcased the warmth of reconciliation. "Do you sometimes think about what will happen when there are no Holocaust survivors left?" "I am an optimist. If I believe in something, it is in the human mind, which will not allow such crimes to happen again," Leon Weintraub wrote to Magda Jaros in an interview for the joint biography "Reconciliation with Evil." This means nothing less than that the responsibility to act upon this is placed in our hands.