A journey to Israel is something special for every human being and this is particularly true for a German politician. Someone who, like me, visits Israel for the first time carries with them a sense of curiosity about the people, the country and its history. I am also one in a long line of German Social Democrat politicians who have come to experience for themselves the political situation, knowing how important the future of Israel is for Germany and the European Union. We in Brandenburg have other good reasons for concerning ourselves with the State of Israel, with Jewish history and with the conflict in the Middle East. Firstly, peace in the Middle East is as great a hope for us as it is for the rest of Germany and Europe. Secondly, we have, like every other state in Germany, benefited from the rich history of varied traditions of German Jews, who have lived in this region for centuries.
Here and throughout much of Europe this source of wisdom and culture was obliterated by the Nazis in the name of the German people. Obscene racial ideology led to the destruction of Jewish life. Unimaginable numbers of people died in the concentration camps at Sachsenhausen and Ravensbruck. These names recall horror and death in the state of Brandenburg and join the list of other sites with a similar, terrible history. The camps now serve as memorials.
During my visit I want to think of those people who passed through the camps in my homeland, who suffered and died. The roll calls, the punishment barracks, the firing squads, the intense hunger we can hardly imagine today, the whole paraphernalia of death stand as testimony to that part of our history which we must never forget. Now, 62 years after the end of the Second World War that was started by the Germans, when the eye-witnesses are passing away, it is especially important to remember the suffering and death that occurred in these places and to remember the prisoners courage and will to survive.
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Young people especially must be made aware of the subject through as many channels as possible. This is an important task for the state of Brandenburg and for our education policy. The role of memorials, schools and government information agencies is important and has helped to change the negative image of the State of Israel that was cultivated during the times of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
Although my visit will be a political voyage, I will not let that blind me to the great history of this region, where the roots of Christianity lie and where many religions can peacefully coexist. I want to try to absorb the culture of the land as much as possible, to witness the pioneer spirit which brought men and women from many countries to turn Israel into what it is today. At the same time I would like to leave something here with you: more knowledge about Brandenburg and the certainty that we are very aware of the Jewish part of our history. And even more: I want to leave you with the good news that Jewish life in Brandenburg is reviving. In the past few years thousands of Jewish immigrants have come to the state, especially from Russia. A considerable number have decided to make it their home. These people integrate into our society and practice their faith. In several towns there are active Jewish communities again. In the state capital of Potsdam the construction of a synagogue is being planned. Three rabbis were ordained last year at the Abraham Geiger College of Potsdam University, the first to be ordained in Germany since 1942. The Moses Mendelssohn Center, a scientific institution unrivaled in Germany, has established itself in the middle of Potsdam.
As a member of the SPD (the Social Democratic Party) I adhere to the tradition of Willy Brandt, Hans-Jurgen Wischnewski, Johannes Rau and many others who have initiated and nurtured the good relations between Germany and Israel. I feel it is my responsibility to honor the great legacy of these men and to build on it. It would also be in accordance with their wishes to build on the existing peace process and to secure a peaceful future for all the people in the region.
Matthias Platzeck is the Minister President of the German state of Brandenburg.
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