German, Israeli embassies jointly honor Holocaust victims

German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel, National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo's Chief of Staff Park Kyung-mee, Israeli Ambassador to Korea Akiva Tor and U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg hold signs commemorating the victims and survivors of the Holocaust during a ceremony commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Goethe Institute in central Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Kwon Mee-yoo

By Kwon Mee-yoo

The United Nations established Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day to pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and raise awareness through education to prevent future acts of genocide.

The embassies of Germany and Israel in Korea hosted an event at the Goethe Institute, Monday, to honor Holocaust victims and survivors ― who fought against the violence, disinformation and hate speech that led to systemic injustice, discrimination and ultimately, genocide ― during the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The embassies have held joint commemorations for this day in Korea for several years as an example of friendship.

Ambassador of Israel to Korea Akiva Tor began by sharing his experience during his first diplomatic posting in the Netherlands, where he felt the immediacy of the "Shoah," which means Holocaust in Hebrew.

"You feel like you are at the scene of the crime. Other than Rotterdam, Holland's cities were not destroyed and you feel like the arrests, the transports to Westerbork and then to Auschwitz could have happened on a day just like this one ― the same trees, the same sidewalk, the same homes, the same spring morning," he said.

"I would imagine this is the feeling of immediacy felt by Koreans when they cross the Hangang Bridge or happen near other sites of tremendous sacrifice and suffering during the Korean War."

Then the Israeli ambassador continued, talking about his experience of distributing the Righteous Among the Nations Award, which is bestowed upon non-Jewish individuals who acted to rescue Jews during the Holocaust.

"It was always a lesson to meet these unique people ― they were of several types, devout Christian farmers living in the countryside, socialists in working-class neighborhoods. Despite their differences, I always received the same answer when I asked them why they did it. Why were they willing to risk the welfare of their families and their own personal safety? The answer was always brief and quite simple: 'I did it because it was right,'" Tor said.

German Ambassador to Korea Michael Reiffenstuel noted that the word Auschwitz has become synonymous with mass murder, cruelty, inhumanity, fanaticism and perversity of Nazi Germany.

"The atrocities that were committed by Germans were inconceivable and beyond comprehension," Reiffenstuel said. "As a German, I'm convinced that every citizen of Germany has the moral duty to do everything in their power to prevent a repetition of history. Be it German or be it anyone else."

Ambassador Reiffenstuel also mentioned this year's theme of the UN Holocaust Remembrance Day, "home and belonging."

"The victims and survivors, all of them had their home and a sense of belonging, and it was stripped away. We have to think about the Holocaust not only in terms of numbers and facts but in every single individual fate and every human being. This is our responsibility towards the victims. We must keep alive the memory of the Holocaust, as well as the developments that led to it,” he said.

"We have to counter hate speech, antisemitism, Holocaust distortion, and denial. This is a responsibility of the Federal Republic of Germany, of every German government and everything living in the current state. I believe that has to be part of our identity.”

This year, U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg attended as a guest of honor and lit candles for Holocaust victims.