The 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp invites us to reflect deeply on the greatest crime in history and to a renewed, strong commitment not to repeat it. Remembrance Day - celebrated on 27 January - comes again this year against an international backdrop of looming and open conflicts. It was precisely the war, together with the weakening of the European democracies in the first part of the 20th century, that created the conditions for that genocide. It is therefore necessary for Europe - the continent where the tragedy and, later, the building of peace took place - to take up its responsibilities before history today and firmly distance itself from all forms of anti-Semitism and racism, which are increasingly recorded not only in society but also, disturbingly, in some political groups.
While the generation of witnesses is disappearing, European states need to foster a new alliance between the generations so as to prevent a repetition of the events of the first half of the 20th century. The memory of the abyss of Auschwitz constitutes a turning point in history, an inescapable passage for the future of the world. However, anti-Semitism does not only concern Jews: it threatens, along with every form of racism, every citizen because it calls into question the very foundations of living together and of peace.
