Luxembourg non-profit organisation Témoins de la 2ème génération (Witnesses from the second generation) have announced that on Thursday 30 October 2025, 150 participants took part in the 28th Annual Educational and Commemorative Trip to the former concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau in southern Poland.
The non-profit organisation said the initiative forms part of the commemorations marking 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp and aims to preserve the memory of the victims of the Holocaust while raising awareness among younger generations of the ongoing dangers of antisemitism and all other forms of discrimination.
Among the participants were 120 young people from several Luxembourg secondary schools, the University of Luxembourg and a school in Trier, Germany. In addition to visiting the Auschwitz Museum and the former extermination camp at Birkenau, the young participants took part in thematic workshops. These sessions addressed key topics such as the importance of Holocaust remembrance, the identity of the Jewish people, the role of art in transmitting memory and the vulnerability of contemporary societies to discrimination.
Témoins de la 2ème génération said the educational and commemorative initiative forms part of its continuing mission to combat forgetfulness and prevent all forms of hatred, at a time when antisemitism remains a serious concern, including in Luxembourg.
In the spirit of remembrance and transmission, the organisers reminded the young participants of their fundamental role in preserving this memory using the phrase “You are the witnesses of the witnesses” which the organisers said echoes as a call to responsibility and commitment in the face of the threats of forgetfulness and hatred.
One participant expressed: “When we leave Auschwitz, we do not only take with us pictures or stories, but also a sense of responsibility. I speak of the responsibility to ensure that humanity remains stronger than hatred.”
The project was supported by the Fondation Luxembourgeoise pour la Mémoire de la Shoah, Comité Auschwitz Luxembourg and Cactus SA.
