Austrian chancellor: 'My mother helped Jewish couple who hid from the Nazis'
In his meeting with President Rivlin, Christian Kern tells of the Nazis' rise to power in his country, when his mother, then 11 years old, used to bring food and water to a Jewish family that had to hide from the Nazis.
Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern told President Reuven Rivlin on Sunday how his mother helped a Jewish couple in Vienna after they were forced into hiding when the Nazis rose to power.
"My grandmother worked in the home of a Jewish family in Vienna, and when the Nazi rose to power, they were forced to hide," Kern began his story. "As an 11 year old, my mother used to take food and drink to the couple every day, until one day she found Gestapo men at the entrance to the hideout. The Jewish couple was never to be seen alive again."
"My mother tells this story over and over to my family," the chancellor added during his meeting with Rivlin in Jerusalem. "I mention this especially since these days, we have to be aware the direct line of remembrance is breaking, the witnesses of that dark period are passing away."
Kern also noted that when he served as the CEO of the Austrian Railways, he worked to promote an understanding of the history of the railways during the Second World War, which had provided a logistical support to the Nazis.
"We have to increase our efforts to keep the memory alive, and we don’t just do this to honor the memory of the victims, but I am convinced we must do this for ourselves and for the next generation. It shows and defines in which society and in which future we want to live," he said.
"I stand here as a true friend of Israel, committed to continuously growing the relationship between Austria and Israel," Kern added. "Wherever anti-Semitism raises its ugly head, we will stand together with our Jewish friends and fight against it. We will never rest to guarantee the integrity, dignity, and the safety of our fellow Jewish citizens."
President Rivlin congratulated the chancellor on his support for Israel and his long-standing friendship, and noted that cooperation between the two countries is growing stronger. Rivlin emphasized the many areas in which the countries successfully cooperate and noted the great potential that exists in the areas of security and counter-terrorism, research and development and the field of renewable energy, in which Austria is considered a world leader.
"We are connected not only by the present and future, but also by the past: and of course the painful past of the Holocaust," the president said to Kern.
"This painful past, and especially the issue of Austria's responsibility for its part in this past, have influenced our diplomatic relationship. Tonight Israel is marking its national Holocaust Remembrance Day, and we appreciate the fact that you will take part in it. Israel appreciates your leadership in promoting awareness of this collective responsibility in Austria. Unfortunately, anti-Semitism and fascism have not disappeared – not in Austria, and not in Europe," Rivlin then added,
"I would like to also express my appreciation for your strong and clear voice against such intolerance and hatred. We face challenges and we face opportunities: but we can face them together."
On Sunday evening, Chancellor Kern participated in the opening ceremony for commemoration events on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
