MINSK, 5 March (BelTA) - Germany is aware of the historical guilt and responsibility for what it did during the Second World War, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Belarus Manfred Huterer said at a ceremony to bestow the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany upon seven war witnesses, participants of the Leonid Levin history workshop in Minsk on 4 March, BelTA has learned.
The German ambassador awarded the Order of Merit to seven Belarusian prisoners of war: Frida Reisman, Yevgeny Khrol, Aleksandra Borisova, Boris Popov, Raisa Semashko, Yakov Kravchinsky, and Zinaida Goryachko. “German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has awarded you in recognition of your long-term personal contribution to the preservation of the historical memory of World War II, as well as the activities of the history workshop in Minsk,” said the head of the diplomatic mission. “You share memories of the ordeals of the war with young people, publish them. You have made an invaluable contribution to perpetuating the crimes committed by National Socialism in Europe. Your moving personal testimonies help us build a better understanding of the tragedy.”
The ambassador stressed that thanks to the history workshop, Minsk-based Johannes Rau International Center for Education and Exchange set up an important platform for commemoration and dialogue at the former site of the Minsk Ghetto.
“We, the Germans, must preserve the memory of the crimes committed by our compatriots. It is our duty to the victims. Our duty to the descendants of the peoples who suffered most during the war is to make sure that this should never happen again. The Federal Republic of Germany unconditionally acknowledges its historical guilt and responsibility. Collective memory and reconciliation shape Germany's foreign policy and are part of our collective identity,” Ambassador Manfred Huterer said.
The head of the diplomatic mission explained the reasons why the seven Belarusians were honored with the award. Frida Reisman was a prisoner of the Minsk Ghetto as a child, and since 1993 she has been the head of the Minsk charitable public association of former prisoners of the ghetto and Nazi camps.
Yevgeny Khrol was prisoner of the Mauthausen concentration camp with his grandmother and sister during the war. For more than 30 years he has been the first deputy of the Belarusian Association of Former Juvenile Prisoners.
During the war, Aleksandra Borisova and her parents were taken to the Majdanek extermination camp for forced labor and later taken to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. For more than 20 years she has been led the Belarusian association of former prisoners of German concentration camps and participants of anti-fascist resistance during the Great Patriotic War.
At the age of 19 Soviet soldier Boris Popov was captured by the Germans and was held prisoner for four years. His memories were published in the book "More about the war".
Raisa Semashko and her parents were hiding two Jewish girls in Minsk during the occupation (her daughter received the award as she was unable to attend the ceremony due to health reasons). They have received the title of the Righteous Among the Nations.
Yakov Kravchinsky was a prisoner of the Minsk Ghetto. He is a member of the Union of Belarusian Jews - former prisoners of ghetto and Nazi concentration camps.
Zinaida Goryachko and her parents were taken to Germany for forced labor. Now she participates in the history workshop project. She was a member of the Soviet Peace Committee.
All of them do a great educational job, meet with schoolchildren and students to tell about the terrible war years.
Photos by Alina Grishkevich
