International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

The years pass, but the memory of the unprecedented crime that was the Holocaust remains. Today, on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz 81 years ago, we bow our heads in memory of the 6 million Jews murdered during the Second World War. We also honour the Roma, Sinti and Yenish, as well as all other victims who suffered under Nazism and its policy of systematic and large-scale extermination.

With time, direct witnesses are becoming scarce, which makes their words all the more precious. The fate of sisters Eva Koralnik and Vera Rottenberg, Swiss survivors of the Holocaust in Hungary, is an extraordinary story, one that holds lessons that should inspire our actions today and in the future.

In Hungary, as in other countries under fascist rule, the Jewish community was persecuted. Racist laws initially excluded Jews from social, economic, political and cultural life. With the occupation of the country by Nazi Germany in March 1944, mass deportations were organised: Between May and July 1944, more than 430,000 Jews from Hungarian territory were sent to Auschwitz and other death camps.

In Budapest, Berta Rottenberg, Eva and Vera's mother, found herself in an extremely vulnerable situation. Her Hungarian husband was forced into hard labour as a Jew, leaving her alone to care for her two young daughters, hidden in a town where roundups were a constant danger. Born in Switzerland, she had automatically lost her nationality when she married a foreigner, as stipulated by law at the time. Furthermore, the Swiss border remained closed to Jewish refugees until July 1944.

It was thanks to the tireless and courageous efforts of a Swiss diplomat, Harald Feller, that Berta Rottenberg was finally able to obtain the necessary documents to leave the country with her two daughters, at a time when emigration from Hungary was virtually impossible for Jews. In October 1944, she managed to reach Switzerland by train through Austria, which had been annexed by Nazi Germany.

The story of the Rottenberg family illustrates how an entire community can be persecuted simply for who they are. Knowing how anti-Semitism has been exploited to commit the worst crimes, its current resurgence, including in Switzerland, must be taken very seriously. It is intolerable that Jewish individuals and communities should once again feel threatened. Anti-Semitism, like any form of hatred based on race, ethnicity or religion, is incompatible with a democratic society founded on tolerance, respect and coexistence.

This extraordinary story also highlights the resilience that characterises many survivors. Having been able to start a new life in Switzerland, the Rottenberg family has contributed greatly to our country: Eva became a literary agent and Vera became the second woman to serve as a judge on the Federal Supreme Court. Today, they remain committed to prevention, especially among young people.

The story of the Rottenberg family's rescue also highlights the importance of civic courage. By taking risks for others beyond the call of duty, Harald Feller was recognised as ‘Righteous Among the Nations’. While heroism cannot be expected of everyone, each and every one of us can nevertheless act at our own level, even modestly, in critical situations. An ethic of civic responsibility and the common good should guide us in such situations.

Shedding light on the historical facts of this tragic period and learning from them is essential to prevent their recurrence. This is one of the main tasks of the future Swiss memorial to the victims of Nazism, which the Federal Council has decided to establish in Bern. A concrete project is expected to be selected in 2026 and implemented in 2027, in partnership with the city of Bern.

This is all the more important given the dangerous rise in identity-based radicalisation and intolerance. Recognising the need for concrete and coordinated action, the Federal Council adopted the first national strategy to combat racism and anti-Semitism last December.

In addition to domestic measures, Switzerland is also committed to preventing atrocities at the international level. Built on the exhortation of ‘never again’ after the Second World War, international legal norms regulating the use of force are increasingly being flouted. We must resolutely commit ourselves to ensuring that they are respected by all and support international courts such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, which strive to uphold the law.

In light of the past, we must therefore reaffirm our determination today to combat anti-Semitism and all other forms of racism, intolerance and discrimination. For Vera Rottenberg, the Holocaust is a warning that human rights cannot be taken for granted and deserve constant attention. Her words must inspire our commitment to ensure that such events never happen again, to anyone.