Ukrainian diplomats and community commemorate victims of Mauthausen camp in Austria
Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Austria Vasyl Khymynets, together with the staff of the embassy, the diplomatic corps of the host country, representatives of the clergy and the Ukrainian community, took part in the annual ceremony of commemoration of those tortured in the Mauthausen death camp.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported on the" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Facebook page of the Ukrainian embassy.
"The pain, suffering and humiliation that former prisoners were forced to endure can be felt here at every turn. Mauthausen reminds us and warns us that democracy and freedom are not a given, but must be constantly defended. Today, we have also heard "Never again" many times. At the same time, a few hundred kilometres away, the war-monger Putin is undermining the foundations of democracy," said Ambassador Khymynets.
He stressed that Ukraine is doing its part to protect democracy and European values, "but we can only restore lasting peace and order together".
"Every time the words "Never again" are spoken, they must be filled with concrete content and actions. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine demonstrates that now more than ever we need to stand together for freedom," the Ambassador said.
During the commemorative ceremony, Ukrainian wreaths were traditionally laid not only at the monument to Ukrainian prisoners, but also at monuments to representatives of other nations.
This year's commemorative ceremony, which traditionally attracts numerous international delegations, politicians and civil society representatives from all over the world, was dedicated to the theme of Law and Justice. In total, the commemorative ceremony was attended by about 9,000 people. Austria was represented at the event by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen and members of the government and parliament.
This year, as in the previous two years, the official ceremony commemorating the victims of Mauthausen was held without the official delegations of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. The Austrian Mauthausen Committee explained the non-invitation of the Russian and Belarusian delegations by the fact that, against the backdrop of the aggressive war against Ukraine, the participation of these countries "would be incompatible with the oath of the surviving Mauthausen prisoners and their desire for peace and freedom".
As reported by Ukrinform, every year, the Mauthausen Concentration Camp memorial complex near Linz hosts events to commemorate the anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp by American troops in the first days of May 1945. Traditionally, official delegations from the countries of origin of the prisoners, including the Ukrainian delegation, take part in the commemoration of the Nazi victims.
"Mauthausen was the only concentration camp in the Reich that was classified as Category III, which meant "extermination through labour" according to the Nazi classification. The conditions of detention here were the most severe in the Nazi concentration camp system.
During the existence of the Mauthausen concentration camp, about 200,000 prisoners of 40 nationalities, including 8,500 women, passed through it and its branches. There were also children and adolescents among the prisoners. In total, about 120,000 people, including thousands of Ukrainians, died in the Mauthausen concentration camp and its branches between 1938 and 5 May 1945.
As Ukrinform previously reported, on 4 May, diplomats of the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the International Organisations in Vienna and their families commemorated the memory of the dead Ukrainians and other prisoners of the Ebensee concentration camp, where the memorial is now located in Upper Austria.
Photo: Embassy of Ukraine in Austria / Facebook