ECB commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day with ceremony and temporary exhibition

27 January 2025

• ECB and City of Frankfurt honour Holocaust victims, particularly those deported from Grossmarkthalle between 1941 and 1945
• Opening of exhibition entitled “Survivors: Faces of Life after the Holocaust” by photographer Martin Schoeller at ECB from 29 January to 26 February 2025

The European Central Bank (ECB) is hosting a commemorative event on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, 27 January 2025, at its main building in Ostend, Frankfurt. This year’s ceremony holds particular significance as it marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp. The event will feature addresses by ECB President Christine Lagarde; Mike Josef, Lord Mayor of the City of Frankfurt am Main; and Professor Mirjam Wenzel, the Director of the Jewish Museum Frankfurt.

“In today’s world, where rising populism and intolerance pose significant challenges, commemorating the Holocaust serves as an indispensable reminder of the need for vigilance and unity against hate and antisemitism,” said President Lagarde.

“Remembering the crimes perpetrated by the Nazis during the Second World War is both our duty and our obligation. It is our responsibility to remember and visualise the reality of Jewish communities in Germany and Europe today. Let us together protect Jewish life now and in the future, and take a firm stand against antisemitism and racism,” said Lord Mayor Mike Josef.

As part of the commemoration activities, the ECB is hosting a temporary photo exhibition by photographer Martin Schoeller in its main building, entitled “Survivors: Faces of Life after the Holocaust”. Maurice Gluck is one of the 56 Holocaust survivors featured in the exhibition. He will be present at the opening to share his personal story of how he survived the Holocaust after he was separated from his parents and hidden by a Catholic family in Brussels. The exhibition will be open to the public from 29 January until 26 February 2025, with a limited number of guided tours available.

For more information on the temporary exhibition and to book a tour, please visit the Kulturothek website.

Photos of the event can be found on the ECB’s Flickr account.

For media queries, please contact Lena-Sophie Demuth, tel.: + 49 1622952316.

Notes

• The ECB’s location at the Grossmarkthalle carries deep historical significance. From 1941 to 1945, the basement of its eastern wing was used as a gathering point for carrying out the deportation of over 10,000 Jewish people to concentration camps. Working with the Jewish Community Frankfurt and the City of Frankfurt am Main, the ECB has established a memorial designed by architects KatzKaiser. The memorial is engraved with testimonies from victims and observers, creating a story that symbolises the extent of the deportations without diverting attention from the actual site.
• Every year the ECB honours the memory of the Holocaust victims, including those deported from Frankfurt’s Grossmarkthalle, with a solemn ceremony at the memorial site.