29 May 2024
Yesterday, Minister of Education and Daycare Facilities of the Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Simone Oldenburg, visited Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. During her visit to the Mount of Remembrance, she toured the Holocaust History Museum, participated in a memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance and visited the Children's Memorial. The Minister's visit culminated in the signing of a Joint Declaration of Intent, reaffirming their dedication to Holocaust education and remembrance. This agreement, signed in a ceremony attended by esteemed guests and representatives, aims to strengthen the cooperative efforts in developing pedagogical and didactical methodologies for the contemporary classroom. It builds upon an already fruitful cooperation that has been ongoing since 2007.
During the signing ceremony, Yad Vashem honored the memory of a Jewish baby girl from Hagenow, Germany. Hanna Meinungen, a young child tragically lost during the Holocaust, is only one example of the countless innocent lives taken during that dark period. Her narrative, intricately linked with the Jewish community's history in Hagenow, serves as a poignant testament to the horrors of the past.
In the aftermath of the Holocaust, the Hagenow Synagogue, once the cultural hub of Jewish life in the city, underwent a transformation. It was reborn as a cultural center, bearing Hanna's name as a perpetual tribute. The Hanna Meinungen Haus stands today as a poignant reminder of the region's rich Jewish heritage, ensuring that the memory of Hanna and those who befell the same tragic fate will never fade.
As Yad Vashem's Director of Global Initiatives Richelle Budd Caplan remarked:
"Hanna's legacy is honored not only through the preservation of the former synagogue, but also through educational initiatives aimed at educating students and the general public about the Holocaust. Today's agreement further underscores the importance of Holocaust education and remembrance, ensuring that the memory of Hanna and all the 1.5 million Jewish children who were murdered during the Holocaust are never forgotten."
