Hi all:
As you’ll remember I’ve written about my mother’s uncles, Josep and Conrado Miret several times before and recently I interviewed my cousin, Joan Molet, who told us how he had started his research and the work he does now as part of the Amical Mauthausen. I told you then that a few weeks later would be the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the camp and thanks to Joan, who attended the events, I can tell you a bit about it (and share his pictures).
Two groups of the Amical departed (one from Madrid and one from Barcelona) towards Vienna on Friday the 8th of May. There were around 130 people, including members of the Amical and students of schools in Aragon and Catalonia.
In the afternoon they visited Hartheim Castle, where they used to perform what they called ‘project T4’, the massive annihilation of people suffering from all kinds of disabilities (physical, mental) and other human beings that the Nazis didn’t think deserved the right to live. They used a gas chamber to kill prisoners from Gusen and Mauthausen and they also performed medical experiments on the prisoners.
Saturday 9th
In the morning the group visited the sub-camp of Ebensee where they rendered homage to the Spanish Republicans; they took part in the International Acts of Homage and visited the tunnels where they manufactured weaponry. Here there was another act of homage to the Spanish prisoners.
After that they took part in the inauguration of the monument to Ana Pointner. The monument was installed thanks to the work of the Austria Perspective Mauthausen. Enric Garriga, the president of the Amical, participated representing the organisation, and Juan Francisco Ortiz, son of a Republican exile who was also a prisoner at Mauthausen, and who now lives in France and plays the guitar, played a number of pieces.
(Ana Pointner collaborated with Francesc Boix photographer and prisoner at Mauthausen. She hid the negatives of the pictures that Boix had taken whilst at Mauthausen behind the stones of the wall at the rear of her house. Those negatives were used as proof in the Nurember Trials.)
Here a bit of an aside about Francesc Boix.
The entry in Wikipedia about Francesc Boix:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Boix
I leave you a link to a documentary about Francesc Boix called ‘Francisco Boix, un Fotógrafo en el infierno’ (Francisco [Francesc is Francisco, Francis, in Catalan] Boix, a Photographer in Hell). There were several versions but I could not find one with subtitles in English although there might be one. Otherwise I wonder if it would be possible to add them on. It includes images and even some film of his testimony at Nuremberg (he speaks in French). He was only 17 when he arrived in the camp and although he survived, he died at 31, probably due to sequels of the experience.
There are a number of interesting articles about his work, although the most recent ones I could find are in Spanish. Just in case you want to check, this one from the Spanish TV talks about the collection of pictures.
http://www.rtve.es/television/20150121/dos-guerras-del-fotografo-boix/1084600.shtml
***
Afterwards there was another commemorative event at the train station at Mauthausen and they went to the Memorial of Gusen were further events remembering the Spanish Republicans and international events took place.
A delegation representing the Amical attended a concert by Juan Francisco Ortiz that took place at Mauthausen, where he donated a copy of the Republican flag his father had made whilst he was a prisoner at the camp.
Sunday 10th.
In the morning, jointly with the members of the Amical in France there were ceremonies at the Spanish and French monuments and together they participated in the international parade (the members of the Spanish Amical as part of the Spanish delegation presided by the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs).
Monday 11th.
Members of the expedition had free time to visit Mauthausen in the morning and they returned to Madrid and Barcelona in the afternoon.
Many thanks to Joan for his chronicle and for the pictures, thanks to all of you for reading and you know, like, comment, share, CLICK, and above all, never forget.
41 replies on “70thAnniversary of the Liberation of #Mauthausen. A chronicle.”
It is chilling, horrid, the things humans do to one another. But you (and Joan) have memoralized those who suffered in a lovely way. Huge hugs to you both.
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Thanks so much Teagan. And thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend.
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Thank you for sharing the story. It is awful that there are so many who do not believe these horrors took place, and now that there are few survivors left, it is important that the stories continue to be told. How brave those people were to hide photographs and negatives.
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Thanks Merril. It always renews the hope in humanity to know that even in the middle of such horror there were people who took a risk to do the right thing. That’s the true heroism of the people who took risks for others. Even if it is so late, it’s good that she’s getting some recognition.
The most scary thing about forgetting (or not believing) such things, is the risk of going down that path again. There are some lessons that humanity seem to find very hard to learn.
Have a good weekend.
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I agree, Olga. You have a great weekend, too! Hugs.
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🙂
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How wonderful that people still remember to celebrate the wonderful work that woman did. If we forget history, we’re doomed to repeat it. May we never forget.
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You’re so right. That’s the right motto. It’s encouraging to know that young people and schools are very involved in these projects. I hope to be able to visit, perhaps next year.
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Thank you for this moving and interesting post. Being disabled (I am registered blind) I am glad you mentioned Hartheim and the Action T4 Programme. Before the Nazis began their genocide against the Jews they trialed many of the methods which would later be employed in the Final Solution on the disabled, including the use of gas. It is a truly horrific period in human history. Kevin
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Thanks Kevin. The father of one of my friends when I was in high school was an amateur historian and particularly interested in that period of history, and I remember borrowing and reading some horrific accounts of the experiments. The complete lack of regard for human life is chilling indeed. And their belief that they had the right to select what made a human being worthier than another.
It’s important that we never forget.
Have a great weekend.
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Good morning Olga…Thank you so much for sharing this. In post war Britain when I was about six years old….every child in the country was taken to cinemas to see what happened when the camps were liberated. I believe because of this, I have a deep and abiding compassion and gratitude for those who continue to shed light onto this hideously dark blot on the human race….those who keep the horror alive, so that hopefully it will not ever happen again….You must be so very proud of your family members. Janet. x
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Thanks Janet. My cousin has definitely found his calling making sure that people don’t forget. There are still people who are trying to find out what happened to their relatives and then… even those who didn’t have direct experience have been touched by it in one way or another. Like remembrance day, or memorial day, it’s important to dedicate time to reflect upon the effects of human actions.
Have a magical weekend.
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
A solemn moment as Olga describes a visit by survivors and relatives of those who died in the infamous Mauthausen. We as nations remember all the dead on November 11th but sometimes those numbers are simple so overwhelming that the individual stories are lost forever. This intimate view of the holocaust with first hand experience is an important reminder of the fraility and barbarism of humans… something that we are still seeing today in the Middle East.
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Thanks Sally.
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Reblogged this on Barrow Blogs: .
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This must have been a very emotional visit for everyone concerned, so thanks to you-and them- for sharing their journey. It doesn’t matter how much time passes, these events must continue to be remembered, as a warning from history.
Ay Carmela!
Best wishes, Pete.
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Amazing contribution
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Thanks Martie.
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It continues to amaze me how ugly humans can be and the other side of the coin, how strong the human spirit is. Hiding the negatives couldn’t have been easy. Thank you both for the research and collaboration and collecting this background. ❤ ❤
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Thanks Tess. It’s always the story of Pandora’s box and hope. It’s always the last thing left. The extremes people can go in one direction and another. Thanks and happy weekend.
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Happy weekend, Olga. ❤
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You too!
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The events themselves are deeply chilling but your compassionate memorial of it is gentle, soothing and healing to those, like me, who long for the time when to be barbaric in the way we treat our own species, never mind others, is not a characteristic of humanity.
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Thank you Peter. The negative stories always take so much more space and time than the nuggets of generosity and bravery. Have a peaceful and joyful weekend.
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Reblogged this on First Night History.
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Thanks so much, Sarah
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Thanks Olga. It is important never to forget and to keep these memorials alive. I visited two Camps during my time in Germany and both visits were very emotional. Hugs! ❤
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Thanks Christoph. You’re right. I can only imagine the experience. I hope to visit next year with my mother.
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A Lovely Memorial… ♥
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Thanks Billy Ray. ♥
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It was a very, very dark time …. I myself in my youth visited the Dachau concentration camp … it was shocking …. so incredibly moving and next all the visible, exhibited atrocities was for me at that time the most heart cutting that I do not care where I put my feet down, always stand on the ashes of the dead.
… ❤
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It is true. My cousin told me the first time he went there it was as if he could see all the men there. We can but hope lessons are learned, but it doesn’t look like it. Thanks so much, Vera.
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❤
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I can’t imagine what it would be like to visit there, especially on a significant anniversary. This is a moving tribute.
I’m glad to see these anniversaries are still being observed. It’s so important to not let these events fade into obscurity.
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You’re so right. Soon there won’t be anybody left who lived through the experience and it’s so important there suffering is not forgotten. Thanks so much for commenting.
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This was a loving and lovely memorial of that time, Olga. We must never forget those hideous events or it would be easier for more of them to repeat. Well done.
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Thanks Suzanne. Yes, we must remember.
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I am gladdened to see that there are people who really do NOT forget. I fear that the collective memory of Americans is no larger or longer than a tweet!
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That’s a worry although unfortunately there are many reminders of the kind of evil that can live in the hearts of human beings. Have a great week Noelle.
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