Jewish and German communities in Rwanda will Wednesday commemorate the victims of the Holocaust committed against Jews in Nazi Germany between 1941 and 1945. It is estimated that over six million Jews perished in the Holocaust. In a statement issued ahead of the ceremony, the German embassy says that the event is important since the commemoration mirrors the atrocities in Rwanda. “The particular experience of Rwanda’s Genocide against the Tutsi adds additional weight to the event,” it reads. The event, which is taking place at the Kandt House Museum will see Prof. Michael Brenner make a presentation on the topic “New life after Genocide: The Jewish Experience in Post Holocaust Germany”. Brenner is an award winning is an award winning German-Jewish historian whose research and publications focus on the history of Jews and Israel. During the WWII, Brenner’s parents survived persecution and war in Germany. Based on their experience, Brenner has been seeking to understand history and became one of the first postwar German-Jewish historians. During the same commemoration event last year, the German Ambassador to Rwanda, Peter Woeste, emphasised the need to talk about what happened saying silence may present an obstacle to the young generation that need to understand the value of remembrance. “To remember requires the collection of memories. To remember means to share bits and pieces of memory. To remember, you need to sit together. It is the difficult task of the “later born generation” to find a way to commemorate the genocide. And that is a question here in Rwanda as well. Those born after the Genocide against the Tutsi also need assistance in finding ways to remember,” he said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
