Swiss parliament lights up 80 years after liberation of Auschwitz

Federal Palace lights up 80 years after the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp Keystone-SDA

To commemorate the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp 80 years ago, the Swiss parliament building in Bern was illuminated in different colours on Monday.

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Up to 1.5 million people, mainly Jews, were murdered in the Nazi-German camp complex in southern Poland.

The arrival of Soviet soldiers in Auschwitz on January 27, 1945, and the subsequent liberation of the murder factory was commemorated worldwide on Monday. Heads of state and government from numerous countries were present at the commemoration ceremony at the site of the genocide 60 kilometres west of Krakow, including Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year.

+ Swiss president decries anti-Semitism during Auschwitz liberation ceremony

In a message published on Monday, Keller-Sutter expressed her shock at the resurgence of anti-Semitism in many places, including Switzerland. “That is why we must emphasise again and again with determination: we will not tolerate our Jewish fellow citizens being intimidated or discriminated against or even experiencing violence,” she said.

In Switzerland, numerous public buildings were illuminated on Monday evening to commemorate the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. Public and state authorities abroad also took part in the campaign. In Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate was illuminated.

The Swiss events are part of the global #WeRemember campaign, as announced in advance by the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) and the Platform of Liberal Jews in Switzerland. The World Jewish Congress supported the campaign.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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