Commemoration ceremony in Gusen – 80th anniversary of the liberation

On 10 May 2025, the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation took place at the former roll call square in Gusen, where an international community of remembrance gathered. Around 2,500 participants formed a large circle - a silent symbol of continuity in remembrance and an expression of the coalescence of the various groups and institutions through the shared experience of the participatory process to expand the Gusen Concentration Camp Memorial.

Visitors were greeted with flowers as soon as they entered the site. Accompanied by music, the event began with a welcome by the moderators Bernhard Mühleder and Julia Mayr and speeches by Barbara Glück (Director of the Mauthausen Memorial) and Reinhard Kaspar (Chairman of the Gusen Memorial Committee). The importance of cooperation for sustainable memorial and educational work was emphasised. Christian Aufreiter, representing the Mauthausen-Gusen-St. Georgen Awareness Region, spoke about the region's responsibility in dealing with history and the significance of this place for the present.

Representatives of the Comité International de Mauthausen and various victims' groups then spoke, including the Jewish Community, the Roma (Romapastoral), the HOSI, Jehovah's Witnesses and others. They all contributed different perspectives on the significance of the commemoration for their communities.

The subsequent speeches by the victim nations - including representatives from Poland, France, Spain and other countries - showed once again how strongly Gusen is anchored as an international place of remembrance. The descendant of a liberator, Paul Kosiek, also found moving words; he quoted his father with ‘Boys, you are free!’.

Representatives from the partner communities - including Sesto San Giovanni, Langenstein and St. Georgen - echoed the sentiments and emphasised the importance of local responsibility for remembrance.

The speeches were followed by a joint laying of flowers in the centre of the circle, accompanied by music. Afterwards, the entire commemorative community sang a version of the well-known partisan song Bella Ciao, adapted to Gusen.

All participants then formed a joint procession to the Memorial de Gusen, accompanied by the St. Georgen market band. There the ceremony came to a solemn end with the laying of wreathes and flowers.

We, the Mauthausen Memorial and the Gusen Memorial Committee, would like to thank all those who keep the memory alive through their participation, their voices and their presence.