Honorary citizenship for Justin Sonder

Justin Sonder is to be honoured with the award of honorary citizenship of the city of Chemnitz in recognition of his commitment to coming to terms with the crimes against humanity committed by the National Socialists. The parliamentary group chairmen of the DIE LINKE parliamentary group, the CDU/FDP parliamentary group, the SPD parliamentary group, the BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN parliamentary group and the VOSI/PIRATEN parliamentary group as well as the Lord Mayor jointly propose the honour. The Chemnitz City Council will vote on the proposal at its meeting on 25 January 2017.

From the submitters' explanatory statement: In particular, Justin Sonder's tireless commitment is honoured, with which he, as one of the few Auschwitz survivors and one of the last contemporary witnesses, keeps the memory of the atrocities of the National Socialist regime alive. He vividly conveys to future generations the extent of this crime against humanity and the almost unimaginable, perfidious machinery of murder. At the same time, he thematises the responsibility of the individual within such a system. In this way, Justin Sonder not only bears witness time and again, but also demonstrates with his example that peace and democracy require the co-operation of people at all times. He experienced the cruel consequences that can result when marginalisation, hatred and anti-Semitism become socially acceptable. Justin Sonder's motivation is to keep the memory alive so that history does not repeat itself.

Justin Sonder was born on 18 October 1925 in Chemnitz, the son of a housewife and a merchant and wine salesman. He was already confronted with growing anti-Semitism in his childhood and experienced the pogrom night in Chemnitz on 9 November 1938. He later learned the trade of cook and had to perform forced labour in a Chemnitz armaments factory from autumn 1941 to February 1943. On 27 February 1943, Justin Sonder was arrested and deported to Auschwitz concentration camp. There he survived unimaginable conditions, hunger, beatings, forced labour and a total of 17 selections. After several death marches, Justin Sonder finally reached Wetterfeld in Franconia in April 1945, where he was liberated by the American army on 23 April 1945. On 19 June 1945, Justin Sonder and his father returned to his home town, where he has lived ever since.

Justin Sonder, who was allowed to sign the Golden Book of the City of Chemnitz in 2007, was awarded the Chemnitz Peace Prize in 2008. When Christian Wulff spoke in Auschwitz for the first time as Federal President in January 2011, Justin Sonder was one of the members of his delegation. In 2015, Justin Sonder received the Medal of Honour from the International Auschwitz Committee. This makes the Chemnitz native one of around 400 people worldwide to be honoured in this way.

Justin Sonder is a sought-after dialogue partner who is invited by schools and associations. He tells his listeners about the darkest times in German history. In doing so, he makes a valuable and invaluable contribution to the culture of remembrance and commemoration. Since 1997, Justin Sonder has organised more than 500 events with thousands of schoolchildren. He teaches them to see the light in the shadows and to recognise alternative courses of action. With his talks about his time in Auschwitz, he brings history to life and makes it tangible.

At the age of 90, Justin Sonder travelled to Detmold at the beginning of this year to testify against a former guard at the extermination camp in what was possibly the last major Auschwitz trial, in which he also appeared as a joint plaintiff. With his testimony, he helped to ensure belated justice.