King to become first British monarch to visit Auschwitz
The King will become the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz when he marks the “important” 80th anniversary of its liberation later this month.
The monarch will join heads of state, presidents and prime ministers from around the globe for a poignant remembrance ceremony at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial in Poland on Jan 27.
The King, who is the patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, hosted an event at Buckingham Palace on Monday to hear about various initiatives designed to ensure that the experiences of Holocaust survivors are never forgotten.
He was joined by Manfred Goldberg, 94, who survived a succession of labour camps, including Stutthof in occupied Poland, as well as a death march, discussing his plans to attend the commemoration.
“I feel I must for the 80th anniversary,” he said. “It’s so important.”
Speaking of the small number of Holocaust survivors still alive to share their stories, the King added: “I can’t bear the dwindling number left behind.”
The monarch has spent decades working to ensure the Holocaust is never forgotten and has previously described how had been inspired throughout his own life by survivors’ stories of immense bravery and sacrifice.
In June 2015, Elizabeth II visited Bergen-Belsen in northern Germany, marking her first and only visit to a Second World War concentration camp.
However, the only senior royal figure to have visited Auschwitz is Queen Camilla, who attended the 75th anniversary commemorations there in 2020.
Mr Goldberg said he was “full of admiration” for the way the King had decided “not to keep silent” about the Holocaust and to show the world where his sympathies lay, adding: “Silence never helps the oppressed. It always helps the oppressor.”
He said: “I think it is an astounding affirmation by His Majesty that he fully understands the colossal injustice and atrocity that was perpetrated against the Jewish people during the Holocaust.
“He seems to have made it an active component of his life to do what he can to ensure that people become aware.”
Mr Goldberg is one of four Holocaust survivors whose stories form part of a new educational programme which uses AI and virtual reality technology to allow children to chat with them face-to-face, as if in real-time.
The King watched a demonstration of the programme, called Testimony 360: People and Places of the Holocaust, asking Mr Goldberg through the computer: “What is the message that you really want to leave people with?”
The digitised Mr Goldberg replied that he would like people to realise that “indifference is a very dangerous response to the injustice”.
The King was also told about an initiative called “80 Candles for 80 Years” – with each holder highlighting the life of an individual or community persecuted by the Nazis.
He was shown a display inspired by Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who played the cello in the women’s orchestra at Auschwitz, before lighting a candle in memory of those killed in the Holocaust and more recent genocides.
