Memorial celebration for Margot Friedländer: a life in the sign of memory

Memorial celebration for Margot Friedländer: a life in the sign of memory

On July 9, 2025, a touching commemoration for the Holocaust-surviving Margot Friedländer took place in the Berlin Philharmonic. The event, organized by the Margot Friedländer Foundation, founded by Friedländer himself, attracted numerous companions, friends and award winners of the Margot Friedländer Prize. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier held a moving commemorative speech in which he described Friedländer's fate as "outrageous and incredible" and praised her merits for the culture of remembrance. He emphasized that it was necessary to fight for tolerance, democracy and humanity and recalled the legacy of Friedländer.

The 103-year-old died in Berlin on May 9, 2025, and her life was shaped by unimaginable suffering and tireless effort against forgetting. She was one of the most famous contemporary witnesses of the Nazi Jews persecution and survived the Schoah as the only one in her family while her parents and brother were murdered by the Nazis. After her deportation to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in 1944, she emigrated to the United States after the Second World War. At the age of 88, however, she returned to Berlin to tell her history in schools and other institutions, and always warned of anti -Semitism and right -wing extremism.

a testimony of humanity

At the memorial event, Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) also spoke a greeting. Hèdi Bouden, the winner of the Margot Friedländer Personality Prize 2024, described the great importance of Friedländer for the society and the cultural heritage of Germany. The transfer of the celebration live from the RBB made it possible for many to participate in this significant moment that kept the connection between history and the present alive.

The commemoration not only a tribute to its life story, but also an appeal to future generations. Friedländer had been committed to forgetting throughout his life and plans to continue her educational work. After the dignified farewell, Friedländer was buried on May 15, 2025 in the Jewish Cemetery Weißensee. The Federal President is the patron of the foundation and emphasized the feeling of emptiness that has left the loss of this remarkable woman.

Friedländer was described as a personality that impressed with its quality and radiance. In his speech, Steinmeier recalled the numerous awards she received for her commitment, including the Federal Cross of Merit and the honorary citizenship of Berlin. Felix Klein, the anti-Semitism representative, as well as Josef Schuster, the President of the Central Council of Jews, emphasized the immense importance of Friedländer for the memory of the Holocaust and paid their respect for their tireless work. href = "https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/gägenkfeier-margot-friedlaender-112.html"> Deutschlandfunk , , zdfheute