Plenkovic: Liberation of Auschwitz marked end of darkest chapter in history

The liberation of the Auschwitz death camp marked the end of the darkest chapter in history, and educating young people about the Holocaust is key to building a society in which something like that will never happen again, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday.

"The liberation of the camp in which over a million people were killed marked the end of the darkest chapter in European and world history," Plenkovic told Hina on arriving in Poland to participate, along with over 20 heads of state and government, in the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

"Awareness and education of young people about historical atrocities, particularly about the Holocaust, is key so that present and future generations can build a society in which there is no room for exclusion, intolerance and violence," Plenkovic said.

"The unspeakable pain of Auschwitz and many other Nazi camps commits us to strongly resist any such attempts and all forms of discrimination and hatred, and to advocate the values of peace, tolerance and dialogue," he added.

The main memorial ceremony is taking place near the entrance to the Birkenau camp, known as the Gate of Death. It will be addressed by Polish President Andrzej Duda and some of the camp survivors. The head of delegations, including Plenkovic, will light candles at the monument there.

Text: Hina



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