"The day would come, quite soon, on which the last survivor of Buchenwald would have died.No longer would there be any direct recollection of Buchenwald: No-one alive to speak the words of physical memory, to say – not only in the words of a theoretical reconstruction – what the hunger, the sleep, the fear had been like, the glistening presence of absolute evil: absolute to the extent that it nests in every one of us as a possible liberty."

Jorge Semprún, 1994
 
 

Today the Buchenwald Memorial is a place of historical elucidation, international encounters and reconciliation work. The history embodied by this place challenges us to recognise that goodness is not self-evident. Freedom, justice, tolerance and human dignity only become reality when people stand up for these values and take responsibility for their realisation. The confrontation with the history of Buchenwald is one means of gaining an awareness of this truth and learning to act accordingly.
 
The Buchenwald Memorial needs friends. Not only because the preservation of memory costs money, but above all because the memorial work is all the more credible and effective, the stronger and broader the network of people involved. Ultimately the point is not the efficiency or the furnishings of a self-sufficient institution, but the continued renewal and preservation of a free and humane society, embodied not least in the spirit and commitment of its members.
 
 

Contact
Verein zur Förderung der
Erinnerung an das KZ Buchenwald
Postfach 3664
D - 99407 Weimar
Tel.: +49 (0)3643–24680
Fax: +49 (0)3643–246831

Förderverein Buchenwald e.V.
c/o Tourist-Information, Markt 10, 99423 Weimar
Tel.: +49 (0)03643 747 540
Fax: +49 (0)03643 747 541
e-mail: info@foerderverein-buchenwald.de
www.foerderverein-buchenwald.de