Speaking in Berlin on the renewed destruction of a remembrance site dedicated to victims of the right-wing extremist terror group NSU (National Socialist Underground) in Zwickau, Christoph Heubner, the Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee said:

"Auschwitz survivors are deeply concerned about the situation in Germany, where people from the extreme right-wing scene are increasing their targeted acts of destructive hatred. These acts go beyond sheer vandalism and are repeatedly directed against memorial sites dedicated to victims of right-wing extremism with the aim of eliminating them from public spaces. In this way, extreme right-wing and neo-Nazi forces are trying to assert their interpretation of history and their hate-fuelled claims to power in public spaces. Auschwitz survivors express their thanks to the Mayor of Zwickau, Dr Pia Findeiss, as well as to all other local politicians in Germany who are standing up fearlessly and steadfastly against these neo-Nazi pretentions to power, and in this way also protecting the right to remembrance and the families of the murder victims.

Since the support of all citizens is essential here, in a few weeks’ time trainees from Volkswagen AG from Zwickau, Chemnitz and Wolfsburg will be stepping up to help. They have already taken part in a two-week project with the International Auschwitz Committee at the Auschwitz Memorial. During their follow-up phase in Zwickau, they will be joining together with Polish colleagues and planting new trees of remembrance for the victims of right-wing violence."