Mauthausen Aktiv GUSEN
within ARBEITSKREIS FUER HEIMAT-, DENKMAL- UND GESCHICHTSPFLEGE (AHDG)
and Local-International Platform ST. GEORGEN/GUSEN, Austria
KZ Mauthausen-GUSEN Info-Pages
Local-International
KZ Gusen I, II & III Commemoration
9 May 1998
JERZY KOWALCZYK
Survivor of KZ Gusen I, Klub Mauthausen-Gusen, Poznan/Poland
Why do survivors come back regularly to a place they remember
with horror and where ten thousands of inmates lost their lives?
Mainly to show children and grandchildren this place.
Mr. Kowalczyk mentioned the fact that nearly all the traces
of the former camps Gusen I, II and III have disappeared
and have been removed thoughtlessly or intentionally.
Fortunately the crematorium remained thanks to the initiative
of the "Amicale" and was made a memorial site in the 60s.
He also referred to the activities of the local initiative
annual ceremony.
HANS MARSALEK
Survivor of Mauthausen central camp,
writer of the history of KLM, Austria
He mainly addressed young people from Europe to learn from
the past, to realise what was wrong and what can be done
to avoid such a development in the future.
As for the Gusen camps he pointed out an exceptionally high
death-rate. On the average there were 20 dead per day,
people murdered by shooting, drowning, gassing, slaining, ...
He made an appeal to the young generation to actively take part in democratic political work.
JAN-RUTH WHITE
High School Teacher, Behula, Alabama, U.S.A.
Official address of Beulah High School students:
We, the 8th grade class of Beulah High School in Alabama
want to dedicate this plaque to all survivors and also to the families
of the ones who unfortunately lost their lives during the tragic times.
It was a very unjust reason for the massive loss of lives.
The number of lives murdered during this period of time, as during
any genocide is barbaric.
We hope to make others realize the importance of getting this history
across to people. It is important for people to remember what happened
so it will never happen again.
We also want to present this glossary of terms from the web site which
we composed with the help of Fritz Voll. We would like to thank
the Platform at St.Georgen/Gusen for allowing us to participate in
this project to re-edit all of this info-pages.
To all those who surived the terrible tragedies of the Mauthausen-Gusen
concentration camp system, we send our greeting.
Mag. KARL SCHLOEGL
Federal Minister of Home Affairs, Austria
Minister Schloegl called the Commemoration an important event
as people from various nations and countries together
remember the past.
1938 was a dark year with Austria being annexed by Hitler
Germany and consequently losing her sovereignty.
Shortly after the "Anschluss" the first concentration camps
were established on Austrian territory.
Many Austrians were victims of Nazi-terror but were also, as we sadly have to concede,
among the offenders.
Minister Schloegl clearly spoke out against racism and violence,
fanaticism and political indifference.
Our society needs:
- Tolerance instead of discrimination.
- Social justice instead of egoism and exploitation.
- Multitude instead of enforced conformity.
The European Union is a vision of this multitude,
a place where people of different religions, languages, cultures
and values can live in peace, freedom, tolerance and solidarity.
Commemorating the thousands of victims of the Gusen camps
our motto should be: Forgive, but donīt forget.
PAUL BRUSSON
Survivor of KZ Gusen I, President of the Belgium Comittee of Mauthausen Survivors
Mr. Brusson is always deeply moved when he comes to the Gusen
Memorial, remembering the 37,000 victims who were murdered
in the Gusen camps.
With the utmost gratitude he remembers an outstanding figure
among the camp inmates, Dr. Johannes Gruber, an Austrian priest
opposing the Nazi-regime, who did everything he could to ease
the physical and psychic pains his comrades had to endure.
Gruber was brutally murdered by camp commandant Seidler on
Good Friday 1944. An application for beatification has been
filed with the Bishop of the Diocese Linz, to do this priest,
who actually gave his life for others, justice post mortem.
Mr. Brusson made a critical remark that for a long time the site
of the concentration camp was left for dilapidation.
Nobody seemed to care that a shameful evidence of the horrible
past was showly disappearing and private houses were built
instead.
He stated the importance of the Memorial as a place to remember
the dead comrades and family members.
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Most recent updates of this page were made on
980815 by Rudolf A. HAUNSCHMIED,
Martha Gammer, Siegi Witzany-Durda and
8th Grade Class at Beulah High School, US-Alabama,
Jan-Ruth White, teacher