The atrocities committed at Bergen-Belsen must always be remembered

On Sunday, I had the honour of sitting alongside survivors and their families, ex-servicemen, the Israeli Ambassador to Germany, the Chief Rabbi and many others to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen.

Some 50,000 men, women and children were murdered at Bergen-Belsen simply because they were Jewish or deemed enemies of the Nazi regime. The soil we stood on was the site of unthinkable suffering, death and human degradation most of us would struggle to comprehend.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner (left) visiting Bergen Belsen. (Image: UK Government)[Missing Credit]

But while Bergen-Belsen represented the very worst of humanity, it also showed our capacity for perseverance and hope. This spirit shone through in the survivors I met on Sunday who continue to stand firm in remembrance, and in their dedication to educate the world about the horrors of the Holocaust.

This is a collective duty we all bear as we ensure that the atrocities committed at Bergen-Belsen are always remembered – not just as a moment in history, but for their lessons on where unchecked hatred and intolerance can lead. As time passes, our duty to bear witness to the survivors and carry their stories forward becomes greater.

I was reminded of this last week as I heard the news that Eve Kugler sadly passed away, aged 94. When I met her earlier this year she described how, having survived the terrors of Kristallnacht, she rebuilt her life and then chose to dedicate so much of it to sharing her story and educating future generations. May her memory be a blessing.

As a government, we’re being bolder and more defiant about the national importance of Holocaust education to carry these testimonies forward. The Prime Minister recently announced that the Holocaust must be taught in schools, regardless of whether they follow the national curriculum or not. And we will build the National Holocaust Memorial and Education Centre, as a national statement of the truth of the Holocaust and its place in our national consciousness.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner visiting Bergen Belsen. (Image: UK Government)[Missing Credit]

This year we also remember the 80th anniversary of VE Day, when war in Europe ended and peace finally returned. In those years since we can appreciate how far we’ve come to build a society which upholds the values of tolerance and freedom that people across Europe so bravely fought for.

Yet we cannot ignore that here at home, on our streets, our Jewish communities continue to face prejudice and hatred. We will fight the poison of antisemitism and hatred in all its forms and we will make sure that “never again” truly means never again.

We must honour the memory of Bergen-Belsen and the stories of its survivors as we fulfil our unwavering commitment to maintain the values of freedom, peace and respect. These are values which were so bravely fought for by our armed forces, and values which helped to sustain so many thousands of people who clung to the hope of a better world to come.