KZ GUSEN MEMORIAL COMMITTEE
within ARBEITSKREIS FUER HEIMAT-, DENKMAL- UND GESCHICHTSPFLEGE (AHDG)
and Local-International Platform ST. GEORGEN/GUSEN, Austria
KZ Mauthausen-GUSEN Info-Pages
Local-International Commemoration
May 5-7, 2000
May 5th - the day before the local-international celebration at Gusen - was dedicated to the French.
Three buses arrived and were welcomed by the Mayor of Langenstein, Mr. Ernst Hutsteiner and our local committee.
The head of the French delegation, Mr. Jean Gavard, reminded us of the victims
and the duty to remember the fascist way of thinking and the lack of democracy
and tolerance that lead to the bad nazi rule in Austria too.
The French assured us of their steady friendship and support.
In the evening the well known Polish dancing group "Kids of Plock" fascinated
about 250 survivors and the local people who attended.
May 6th was the International Gusen Day. Uncountable numbers of buses from everywhere arrived at the memorial
from morning to evening to lay down their flowers in the memorial building to the deadly furnaces.
Italian students from the City of Empoli (partner city of St. Georgen) who had stayed here
for some days together with local families, had their discussion together with their
Austrian friends concerning democracy and civil rights.
Italians and some locals listened to the reports of Mr Angelo Signorelli who reported about his stay in Gusen I camp.
In parallel the Polish survivors celebrated a catholic service in front of the memorial.
At 05.30 p.m. the international celebration started with the welcoming address of the Mayor of Langenstein, Mr. Ernst Hutsteiner
and the young group of the local music band.
Several speeches followed: The Mayor of Empoli and the Mayor of Sesto San Giovanni, partner city of the town of Langenstein,
remembered the dead of these cities, victims of nazi labour in Gusen I and Gusen II concentration camps.
For the large number of Polish guests the Ambassador of the Polish Republic to Austria, Her Excellency
Professor Dr. Irena Lipowicz, reminded us of the liberation day May 5th, 1945, and challenged the group
to vigilliance for tolerance across the borders of religion, nations and races at the ashes of the victims.
Many were also interested in the report given by the former US soldier Lee W. Hens from Alexandria, Minessota,
who was an American liberator like the 23 men of Kosiek´s platoon that liberated KZ Gusen I, II and III as well as the Mauthausen central
camp on May 5th, 1945.
Several groups contributed with their songs to this years commemoration: A Polish-Lithuanian Choir, a music group from Russia,
the Kids of Plock, etc.
On May 7th - the Sunday morning - many survivors celebrated an ecumenical service of reconciliation together with the local population at the parish church of St. Georgen.
In addition to the Polish Ambassador to Austria, Bishop Ignacy Jez, a former detenant of Dachau camp, Bishop Kasimierz Ziolkowski and
Bishop Ryszard Borski as well as Military Bishop, General Miron represented all the main religious confession groups of Poland there.
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Martha Gammer, Siegi Witzany-Durda and
Jan-Ruth White with her students in US-Alabama