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80 Years After Liberation: Buchenwald Confronts Past and Present
On April 6 and 7, 2025, survivors, political leaders, and descendants gathered at the site of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Thuringia to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its liberation. Once a symbol of Nazi terror, Buchenwald has now become a focal point of reflection—not only on the crimes of the past, but also on the state of modern democracy, the global rise of far-right ideologies, and the challenges faced by institutions tasked with preserving historical memory.
Established in 1937, Buchenwald imprisoned more than 280,000 people by 1945. Among them were Jews, Roma, political opponents, homosexuals, and others targeted by the Nazi regime. Around 56,000 were murdered in the camp. After its liberation by US forces on April 11, 1945, it briefly became a Soviet-run detention site, where another 7,000 died under harsh postwar conditions.
Today, the once-overgrown site includes foundations of the infamous Little Camp, crematoriums, medical experiment facilities, and the iconic gate bearing the cynical slogan “Jedem das Seine” (“To each his own”)—frozen in time at 3:15 p.m., the hour of liberation.
Diminishing Survivor Voices and the Struggle for Historical Clarity
Only a handful of survivors attended this year’s ceremony, compared to hundreds just two decades ago. Among them was 100-year-old Albrecht Weinberg, who returned to Germany after living in the US and has spent recent years speaking to young people about the Holocaust.
Weinberg’s message was clear: silence enables injustice. In January, he gave back his federal Order of Merit in protest against immigration legislation supported by the CDU and AfD. “Young people must not be afraid to say when something is wrong,” he said.
As survivor numbers dwindle, remembrance efforts increasingly rely on digital documentation and public education. Jens-Christian Wagner, director of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation, emphasized the growing responsibility of society to uphold the truth. “We all are responsible for remembering—every single citizen,” he stated.
Far-Right Gains Spark Alarm Among Memorial Leaders and Officials
Wagner expressed serious concern over the political climate in Thuringia, where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party recently secured 38.6% of the vote—more than in any other federal state. The AfD has repeatedly criticized Germany’s remembrance culture and called for an end to what it sees as an overemphasis on Nazi-era history.
Wagner warned that within AfD circles, Nazi crimes are systematically downplayed and historical revisionism is actively spread. He described the region as being “at the center of the storm,” and called the erosion of postwar democratic norms “extremely worrying.”
At the ceremony, former German President Christian Wulff added to the warnings. Comparing today’s global political climate to the years before World War II, he said the rise of far-right populism is causing “brutalization and radicalization,” and fueling fear among many in German society.
“The ideology of the AfD is creating an atmosphere where people feel unsafe,” Wulff said, urging citizens to defend democratic values. “Evil must never be allowed to prevail again.”
Social Media Under Fire for Amplifying Extremism
Wagner also addressed the role of modern technology in spreading disinformation and hate. In an interview with MDR, he described social media as the “plague of the 21st century,” warning that platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook have become powerful tools in steering societies away from liberal democracy.
This view is echoed by healthcare professionals. Rainer Thomasius, a youth psychiatrist at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, compared the neurological effects of social media addiction on adolescents to those of alcohol or cannabis, describing it as a looming mental health crisis.
Israeli Pressure Sparks Controversy at Memorial
The ceremony was also overshadowed by political conflict involving the Israeli government. Days before the event, German-Israeli philosopher Omri Boehm had his invitation to speak rescinded under pressure from Israel’s ambassador.
Boehm, whose grandfather survived the Holocaust and who has been critical of the Israeli government, was accused by the embassy of relativizing the Holocaust. Memorial organizers defended their decision, saying it was made to avoid drawing survivors into a polarizing dispute.
Wagner criticized the external pressure as unprecedented. “I’ve never experienced anything like that, and I never want to again,” he said. German government spokesperson Wolfgang Büchner later reaffirmed that remembrance institutions in Germany must remain free from political interference.
Remembrance in a Time of Global Crisis
The anniversary comes at a time when many democracies are facing internal strain. From rising nationalism in Europe to authoritarian influence from abroad, memorial leaders say the lessons of Buchenwald are more relevant than ever.
“The certainties of the postwar decades have become fragile,” said Wagner. He pointed to the political environment shaped by figures like Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, warning that liberal democracies are increasingly caught between polarizing forces.
Despite threats, vandalism, and personal risks, Wagner and his team continue their work. The Memorial Foundation emphasizes remembrance not as a symbolic gesture, but as an active societal responsibility to protect democratic structures, resist extremism, and preserve historical truth.
