Felix Klein, the German government’s representative for Jewish life and the fight against antisemitism, is calling for a reform of concentration camp memorials in Germany. These sites have been the target of increasing acts of provocation and vandalism in recent years. Klein told the “Welt” newspaper that he is looking forward to working closely with the new government representative for culture and media, Wolfram Weimer, to develop a new memorial concept for the federal government. “Supporting the German remembrance culture and memorials is an investment in strengthening democracy” Klein said. “Memorials are institutions of political education that not only shed light on the past, but also have an important significance for the present.” He added that adequate and reliable financing of the memorials is essential, as well as well-trained staff for targeted educational programs. Oliver von Wrochem, spokesperson for the Association of Concentration Camp Memorials in Germany, told the newspaper that attacks on the remembrance culture are increasing, with acts of vandalism such as damage to commemorative plaques or denial of Nazi atrocities posing a serious problem. He added that it is a societal issue that revisionist and far-right positions are becoming increasingly prominent, both in Germany and across Europe and are increasingly visible in the political sphere due to the rise of right-wing populist parties.
New Memorial Sites Concept Needed to Combat Rising Anti-Semitism
