Doc. 11264
19 April 2007

The infringement of the dignity of the victims of German Nazi concentration camps by some Russian media

Written Declaration No 394

This written declaration commits only the members who have signed it

With great indignation we note the fact that some Russian media are exploiting the memory of the victims of the concentration camp in Oświęcim (Auschwitz). They accuse the Director of the Auschwitz Museum and the International Auschwitz Council of closing the Russian exhibition.

The first USSR exhibition was opened in the museum in 1961. In 2003, the Russians proposed creating a new exhibition as a result of which the former exhibition was closed.

Substantive differences in views emerged on nomenclature of territories and population, which, due to the activities of the USSR following the Ribbentrop-Molotow Pact, found themselves under the control of the USSR in the period 1939 to 1941, namely the territories of the Baltic States, the eastern part of Poland, as well as part of Romania. Their population cannot be treated as citizens of the USSR. They did not renounce their former citizenship and did not voluntarily adopt Soviet citizenship.

These differences have yet to be resolved.

The position of the museum is supported by the International Auschwitz Council headed by Professor Władysław Bartoszewski, comprising former prisoners of the camp, as well as international historians and experts.

We strongly disapprove of any attempts to exploit the memory of KL Auschwitz victims for reinterpreting history.

Signed: ¹

• KARSKI Karol, Poland, EDG
• BENDER Ryszard, Poland, EDG
• ČEKUOLIS Jonas, Lithuania, ALDE
• EÖRSI Mátyás, Hungary, ALDE
• GACEK Urszula, Poland, EPP/CD
• GIRZYŃSKI Zbigniew, Poland, EDG
• GRZYB Andrzej, Poland, EPP/CD
• HERKEL Andres, Estonia, EPP/CD
• IWIŃSKI Tadeusz, Poland, SOC
• JAKAVONIS Gediminas, Lithuania, ALDE
• JAZŁOWIECKA Danuta, Poland, EPP/CD
• JURGENS Erik, Netherlands, SOC
• KAWA Marek, Poland, NR
• LIBICKI, Jan Filip, Poland, EDG
• LIPIŃSKI, Dariusz, Poland, EPP/CD
• MELČÁK, Miloš, Czech Republic, SOC
• SEVERINSEN, Hanne, Denmark, ALDE
• STAPONKIENĖ, Aldona, Lithuania, EDG
• VAREIKIS, Egidijus, Lithuania, EPP/CD
• WACH, Piotr, Poland, EPP/CD
• WITA, Tadeusz, Poland, EDG

__________________________

Total = 21

¹     SOC: Socialist Group
      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
      EDG: European Democratic Group
      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
      NR: not registered in a group