Officials commemorated the 75th anniversary of Budapest’s ghetto in Klauzal Square in the 7th district last night.
“The tragedy of our Jewish compatriots is our tragedy,” said Péter Niedermüller, mayor of Budapest’s 7th district, at the event.
Niedermüller added that it is not enough to commemorate in silence. “We must speak out loud about what happened in Budapest in the winter of 1944-45,” he said. “This square evokes death, destruction, and inhumanity,” he added.
“Hatred and animosity, the stigmatization and segregation of people, the trampling of human dignity, unbridled resentments and the generation of enemy images could lead to unforeseeable consequences such as those of Budapest circa 1944-45”.
“Society is characterized by the way it treats minorities and people that think and behaving differently,” he said, adding that “nations will not become great or strong through uniformity but through diversity and respect for that diversity”.
The commemoration was also attended by Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony and Jewish federation Mazsihisz chief András Heisler.
Photo credit: szombat.org