Reading West MP Martin Salter and students from Prospect School, Thames Valley University, and Little Heath School took part last week in a visit to the notorious WW2 concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau.

The visit, which was organised by the Holocaust Educational Trust, was a unique opportunity to see what happened at Auschwitz-Birkenau, to pay respect to those who lost their lives, and to explore the universal lessons of the Holocaust. The group was shown around the camp’s barracks and crematoria, and witnessed the registration documents of inmates, piles of hair, shoes, clothes and other items seized by the Nazis. They were then taken the short distance to Birkenau where a memorial and candle-lighting service was held to remember the 6 million Jews, and the Roma, gay, disabled, black people, and other victims of the Nazis killed in the Holocaust.

Mr Salter said:-

“Having now visited Auschwitz, it’s still difficult to take in the full extent of the industrialised nature of the horrific slaughter that was the Holocaust. These events may have taken place over 60 years ago but as our society bears witness; we need to continue to teach the lessons of the Holocaust to the younger generations in order to fight bigotry and hatred today.”

He added:-

“I have nothing but contempt for politicians and organisations who seek to achieve power by fanning the flames of racial prejudice and demeaning minority communities. The BNP and other extremist groups are the modern day equivalent of the German Nazi Party which explains why the BNP leader Nick Griffin is a Holocaust denier who famously dismissed the murder of six million Jews as the “Holohoax”. Only by teaching young people of the dangers of racial hatred can we counter the doctrine of those who preach hate not hope.”

Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust said:-

“We are delighted that Martin Salter  joined us on the visit with students from his constituency. The HET’s ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ Project is such a vital part of our work because it gives students the chance to understand more the dangers and potential effects of prejudice and racism today on a local and national scale.”