Sensational find: Historical concentration camp items discovered in Püttlingen!

Sensational find: Historical concentration camp items discovered in Püttlingen!

In a remarkable incident, a major sensational find occurred in Püttlingen - historical objects associated with the “Saar camp community” of Buchenwald survivors were discovered. These finds, which include photos of the liberation of the concentration camp, a flag and an old prisoner number, will soon be exhibited at the Buchenwald Memorial. The Püttlingen Remembrance Work Group ceremoniously hands over the pieces to Professor Jens-Christian Wagner, the director of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Concentration Camp Memorials Foundation. Professor Wagner describes this find as particularly valuable because the flag was previously considered lost.

The find underlines the urgency and importance of the culture of remembrance in our society. In a lecture, Wagner will address the topic “Culture of remembrance under pressure: Dealing with Nazi crimes in times of global shift to the right”. He points out the growing number of attacks on memorial sites and right-wing extremist incidents, such as the Hitler salute and graffiti, which pose challenges to the work of such institutions.

Current challenges

Wagner also identifies a worrying trend: he observes an increasing disinterest in the culture of remembrance among students. These developments are not only important locally, but also reflect a problem for society as a whole that concerns the confrontation with our history. On the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Holocaust, which will be celebrated in Berlin on January 27, 2025, the need to uphold the memory of the atrocities of the Nazi era and to fight against forgetting becomes clear.https://www.bpb.de/themen/deutschlandarchiv/555824/deutsche-erinnerungskultur-rituale-tendenzen-streite/

Some memorials, such as the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which was inaugurated in 2005, and the Memorial to the Persecuted Sinti and Roma, which opened in 2012, are not only places of remembrance, but also places of experience and knowledge. The question here is how we can keep the commitment to the culture of remembrance alive and encourage future generations to deal with this burdened history.

Invitation to the lecture

Anyone interested is cordially invited to attend Professor Wagner's lecture on October 31, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Saar Historical Museum. Admission is free, but registration by email is recommended. At a time when the pressure on the culture of remembrance is increasing, it is more important than ever to face the challenges together and preserve the lessons of history.