80 years on from the liberation of Auschwitz, the notorious Nazi concentration and extermination camp where 1.1 million men, women and children were murdered between 1940 and 1945, a Monaco delegation joined representatives and leaders from across the globe at the infamous site in Poland to honour the dead, as well as those who survived the atrocities of the Holocaust.
On Monday 27th January, a Monaco delegation led by Acting Minister of State Isabelle Berro-Amadeï travelled to the site of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau camp to participate in the anniversary commemorations of its liberation by Soviet forces 80 years ago to the day.
During its almost five years, Auschwitz bore witness to the murders of 1.1 million men, women and children – most of them Jewish – at the hands of Nazi forces. The camp has since been transformed into a place of memorial and remembrance, a symbol of the horrors of the Holocaust while also representing humanity’s collective responsibility to confront and prevent hatred and genocide.
See more: In pictures: Remembering the WWII Liberation of Monaco
Joining Berro-Amadeï, Monaco’s experienced Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, who stepped into the role of Acting Minister of State following the death of Didier Guillaume earlier this month, were other key figures from the Principality, including Lorenzo Ravano, Monaco’s Ambassador to Germany and Poland; Jean-Laurent Imbert, First Secretary; Tomasz Wardynski, Honorary Consul of Monaco in Warsaw; and Jacques Wolzok, President of the Commission for Assistance to Victims of Spoliation.
The official delegation was also accompanied by representatives from Monaco’s Jewish community, such as Mikhal Amsellem, President of the Jewish Religious Association of Monaco; Aaron Frenkel, President of the Jewish Cultural Centre of Monaco; Nikol Abecassis, a teacher from the François d’Assise–Nicolas Barré Institution; Laura Vaselli, a student from the Lycée Albert I; and Johar Benbrikhou from François d’Assise–Nicolas Barré.
In a statement, Berro-Amadeï said that she was “honoured to represent Monaco, to uphold the duty of remembrance and to never forget”.
The commemorations were a thoroughly international affair and brought together world leaders and government figures from around the world. Among those who attended the ceremony were King Charles III of the United Kingdom, who was pictured wiping away tears during the ceremony, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Germany’s President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Olaf Scholz were both in attendance, while the US sent a delegation in the form of Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy to the Middle East, and Howard Lutnick, nominee for Secretary of Commerce.
A number of Auschwitz survivors were also present at the emotive event, with some invited to speak about their experiences. As their numbers dwindle—those who remain would have been children or teenagers during their time at Auschwitz—the ceremony underscored the imperative of preserving their testimonies and ensuring that the lessons of Auschwitz remain a guiding force against hatred and intolerance.
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Photos via Monaco Communications Department