Students from HGGSP and the Convoy 77 project took part in the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in Düsseldorf, in the presence of leading figures such as the mayor, Stephan Keller. The ceremony underlined the importance of remembrance and vigilance, with keynote speeches and a moving tribute to the victims of the Shoah.
Solenn Donnay, a final year student, recounts:
Commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and International Day for the Remembrance of Genocide and the Prevention of Crimes against Humanity
On Monday 27 January 2025, the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz camp was commemorated. The HGGSP students (specialising in history-geography, geopolitics and political science) and those taking part in the Convoy 77 project attended the ceremony at the Güterbahnhof in Derendorf, accompanied by history-geography teacher Ms Berthod and English teacher Mr Bonnet. During the ceremony, a number of guests, including the mayor, Mr Stephan Keller, spoke about what happened 80 years ago, but also about the current situation.
The messages of peace and vigilance against mounting anti-Semitism touched the audience.
The rabbi of Düsseldorf’s Jewish community then recited a prayer in tribute to all the victims of the Shoah, in an emotional moment. At the end of the ceremony, everyone gathered to pay their respects to all the victims of the Shoah who were deported from Düsseldorf.
As a reminder, the Convoy 77 project aims to research and write the biographies of those who were part of the last convoy to leave Drancy during the Second World War.
