Climate change is threatening Holocaust sites, group warns
- Report: Floods, severe storms have wreaked havoc on several key sites
- The challenge of preserving them is becoming increasingly critical
- The loss of Holocaust sites raises concerns about the distortion of facts
FILE – In this Friday, June 5, 2009 file photo flowers are seen at a memorial on the location of Little Camp at the Buchenwald concentration camp in Buchenwald, Germany. Germany has agreed to provide more than a half billion euros to aid Holocaust survivors struggling under the burdens of the coronavirus pandemic, the organization that negotiates compensation with the German government said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, file)
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(NewsNation) — An international advocacy group has sounded the alarm on the escalating threat climate change poses to Holocaust-related sites, including former concentration camps and mass graves, Axios reported.
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) warns that extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, are causing irreversible damage to these historically significant locations.
Recent reports from the IHRA reveal that floods and severe storms have wreaked havoc on several key sites across Europe.
In the Czech Republic, the former ghetto of Terezin has been hit hard, with buildings sustaining significant damage. Similarly, the perimeter wall of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Germany has been extensively destroyed by severe weather.
In Austria, floodwaters breached the former subcamp of Gusen, reaching the crematorium and causing damage. Additionally, mass graves at the subcamp of Ustica in Croatia are under threat from rising floodwaters.
The IHRA has identified climate change as one of the top threats facing these sites in the 21st century. With many of these sites over 80 years old, the challenge of preserving them in the face of climate change is becoming increasingly critical.
Gilly Carr, a member of the U.K. delegation of IHRA, stressed the need for proactive measures to make these sites more climate-resilient, acknowledging that restoration may not always be feasible, Axios reported.
The potential loss of Holocaust sites also raises concerns about the spread of misinformation and the distortion of historical facts. As antisemitism and White nationalism continue to rise in various countries, the preservation of these sites becomes even more crucial in countering false narratives.
Meanwhile, discussions around the preservation of sites associated with historical trauma extend beyond Holocaust sites. In the United States, for instance, the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico maintains the ruins of Mission San Geronimo, a reminder of past atrocities. Similarly, the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s acquisition of the Wounded Knee National Historic Landmark reflects ongoing efforts to reclaim and protect sites of significance.
The IHRA Charter for Safeguarding Sites offers proposals for nations and local communities to mitigate the impact of climate change on Holocaust heritage. These include maintaining comprehensive inventories, digitizing data and collaborating with external organizations to develop strategies for site protection.