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“The compensation of forced laborers was a long-overdue act of restitution. The EVZ Foundation’s ongoing commemorative work is a vital contribution to preserving memory.”
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal President
In 2025/2026, under the patronage of Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the EVZ Foundation will mark its 25th anniversary. The anniversary year will focus on the voices of former forced laborers and survivors of Nazi injustice, the perspectives of young people, and the question of how remembrance of the National Socialist era can be shaped today. From August 2, 2025, to June 13, 2026, a wide-ranging program will invite people in Germany and across Europe to rethink responsibility.
The interactive learning module Paid Out?! on the EVZ Academy online platform (from mid-August) explores the history of compensation for NS forced labor and how Nazi injustice has been addressed – from both historical and contemporary perspectives.
The podcast Value & Dignity (launching this fall) tells the story of the political debates surrounding the founding of the EVZ Foundation and shares personal experiences of those affected.
The multimedia touring exhibition Ma Bistrass! Lest We Forget, by photographer Luigi Toscano, honors survivors of the Nazi regime from the Sinti/Sintize and Roma/Romnja communities and will be on display at various locations in Berlin starting in November.
See our anniversary website and social media channels for further information on other activities and the views of those who have accompanied the foundation over the past 25 years (#25EVZVoices).
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New publication
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2024 Activity Report published: a look back with a view to the future |
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Looking back at 2024 is a worthwhile undertaking because it also opens up new perspectives for the future. Whether supporting survivors of Nazi persecution, amplifying young voices in historical-political education or launching digital campaigns: the EVZ Foundation provides funding where remembrance has an impact and democracy can be strengthened In 2024, a total of 146 projects were supported with EUR 8.8 million in foundation funds, supplemented with over EUR 17 million through third-party funding programs.
The themes of the past year remain highly relevant: how can remembrance promote democratic resilience? How can we strengthen the perspectives of marginalized communities? And how can we shape remembrance in a way that helps transform the present?
Those reading the 2024 Activity Report will not only reflect on a dynamic year, they will also encounter the pressing questions of today and the tasks ahead.
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Read now 
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new funding program
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MemoRails: Nazi crimes at railway stations
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The program MemoRails is entering its next phase: 13 projects from across Germany have been selected by an independent jury from more than 100 submissions. They come from cities and towns throughout the country. All project executing agencies are implementing a wide range of educational and commemorative formats, including city tours, exhibitions, plays, and digital content. The aim is to commemorate NS crimes at railway stations, in particular forced labor, deportations and persecution. The selected projects will begin in September and are aimed at a broad public, often with the active participation of local communities. Projects receiving funding include initiatives in Cottbus, Göttingen, Cologne, Meiningen, and Pirna. The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media Wolfram Weimer says: “These projects bring to light what was long unknown.”
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Explore the program
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NEW CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
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Young Civil Societies for Democracy
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With this new pilot program, the EVZ Foundation is supporting international youth education projects for people aged 16 to 35. The projects not only encourage participation, but they also equip young people with the skills they need for active civic engagement. The goal is to strengthen youth involvement while at the same time creating new spaces for a vibrant, courageous and creative civil society. The call is open to bilateral, trilateral and multilateral projects run by organizations in Germany, Georgia, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine, as well as those organized by Belarusian exile organizations. Project proposals may be submitted until October 15, 2025.
The illustration is by Ukrainian artist Nastasiia Khadzhynova.
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Find out more and submit a proposal
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zukunft memorial
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Talking Archives: a new perspective on archives – digital, accessible, rich in perspectives
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How can archives be presented in a way that moves people? The project Talking Archives by Zukunft Memorial offers an impressive answer. The website invites users to rediscover personal stories, artifacts and voices from the archive of the Russian human rights organization Memorial.
It shows how diverse and dynamic remembrance culture can be in digital spaces – especially when archival work and those behind it are forced into exile by political repression. Talking Archives is a model for a form of remembrance that documents and connects, as well as inviting people to take action.
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Discover the digital archive
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ROMA IN UKRAINE AND THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
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New projects under the Latcho Dives program
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On August 2, Sinti and Roma communities in Auschwitz and at numerous locations across Ukraine commemorate the persecution and murder of around 500,000 Sinti and Roma during the Nazi era. Today, Roma in Ukraine are once again fighting for survival – also as soldiers on the front lines. With support from the EVZ Foundation, many activists have been working for years to support survivors of the genocide and their descendants. In recent months, eleven additional self-organizations in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova have received funding: The NGO Romano Drom is providing 34 Roma survivors in Irpin, Bucha, Hostomel and Borodianka with food and hygiene supplies. These people are also receiving help with home repairs, legal assistance, and psychological support. The foundation Neue Generation in Uzhhorod is organizing survivor interviews with eight historical eyewitnesses for a documentary film and a three-month leadership training program for 20 young Roma, while in 2026, ten young activists from the NGO KURS in Kherson will take part in commemorative events at Auschwitz.
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Find out more about the program Latcho Dives
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16th Blickwinkel conference
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Educational work critical of antisemitism and racism: what does it all achieve?
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The educational center Bildungsstätte Anne Frank invites participants to TU Berlin on September 25 and 26 to engage in dialog on the goals and impact of educational work critical of antisemitism and racism – in times of growing polarization and threats to democracy.
In lectures, panels and practical sessions, experts from academia, historical-political education and civil society will come together to discuss different points of view, challenges, and practical approaches.
The Education Agenda NS-Injustice project Degenerate Music run by the Bremer Bündnis für deutsch-tschechische Zusammenarbeit e. V. will be taking part, featuring the format DANCE AND DISCUSSION.
Note: All panels will be streamed live on the YouTube channel of Bildungsstätte Anne Frank. The event itself is already fully booked.
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Find out more about the program
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Dr. Adam Sitarek from University of Łódź and project manager of "Mapping Jewish Łódź"
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The connection between individual stories and today's cityscape of Lódz plays a central role in the project.
How do students experience this form of engagement with history and what significance does the specific urban space have for your educational work?
Working on the project is a significant challenge for the students of the Academy of Fine Arts, who begin to discover completely new meanings and contexts within the familiar urban landscape. For many of them, these revelations were deeply surprising, reflecting the current state of public knowledge in Łódź about the city’s history and the experiences of its Jewish residents. By presenting everyday life within the space of Łódź, the aim is to break the prevailing narrative that frames Jewish presence solely through the lens of Holocaust commemoration – through sites of persecution marked by tragic experiences. Themes of privacy and everyday life are a key component of the planned educational walking routes that follow the places mentioned in the interviews.
An additional and considerable challenge will be the work on installing the student-created art installations at specific urban sites. These installations will enable interaction with local residents and passersby, thereby enhancing the educational potential of the project.
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Continue reading and learn more about the political situation in Poland
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Recap Revisited: Czech-German memory and beyond
In connection with the renowned MSA conference Beyond Crises: Resilience and (In)stability, the cooperation event Revisited: Czech-German Memory and Beyond took place on July 14, 2025, co-hosted by the EVZ Foundation and the Memory Studies Association with support from the Czech-German Fund for the Future. The discussion at Kampus Hybernská in Prague brought together international voices from academia, the arts, and civil society.
The focus was on the opportunities and challenges of contemporary remembrance cultures, grounded in Czech-German relations but extending to Belarus and beyond. One particularly striking aspect was the combination of theoretical and artistic perspectives: The exhibition Voices of Memory illustrated how visual art can offer new ways of accessing history. Astrid Schmetterling, lecturer in visual cultures at the University of London, emphasized that beyond classical formats, images and artworks help make history tangible in the present.
Artist Mirta Kupferminc offered visitors a deeply personal perspective, working with historical photographs that she re-imagines through storytelling as a creative response to the gaps in her family’s history of persecution.
The two speakers are both featured in the recap video of the event.
The day made one thing clear: in times of growing social polarization, spaces for multi-perspective and transnational understanding are urgently needed – in research, in the arts, and in public cultures of remembrance.
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YOUNG PEOPLE remember committed: apply now!
Actors in historical-political education who are developing innovative projects with young people on the history of National Socialism and its crimes – as well as their prehistory and post-history in Germany – are invited to get involved. They can apply for funding for their projects.
YOUNG PEOPLE remember committed specifically opens up opportunities for smaller-scale initiatives and remembrance-focused institutions to develop new educational formats and participatory approaches. Proposals can be submitted up to October 1, 2025. The earliest possible project start date is April 1, 2026.
Here are some examples of projects already in receipt of funding under the YOUNG PEOPLE remember committed funding line:
The “Gray Buses” memorial in Chemnitz
Since 2006, the 72.2-ton “gray buses memorial” has traveled through Germany to commemorate the Nazi crimes against people with disabilities In connection with the so-called “euthanasia” program of 1940/41, many victims were deported to killing centers in gray-painted buses. In 2025, the SFZ Förderzentrum brought the mobile memorial to Chemnitz – to the site of the former “Royal Saxon State Educational Institution for the Blind and People with Intellectual Disabilities” – and draws on youth engagement to remember the victims of “euthanasia.”
Erinnerungs-D.i.N.G.: inclusive remembrance for a strong democracy
The project by IBB Dortmund and IN-Gesellschaft e. V. makes Nazi crimes in Hamburg audible and tangible – in a way that is barrier-free and inclusive. Young people with and without disabilities jointly produce a podcast in plain language. The title stands for “Standing up for democracy – inclusive reflection on history”. The aim is to build a culture of remembrance that enables participation and makes history accessible to all.
Postcolonial memories
How are colonialism and National Socialism linked? And what was life like for Black people in Germany during the Weimar Republic and under National Socialism? This project by Sources d’Espoir e. V. organizes workshops and excursions to explore Germany’s colonial responsibility, with the goal of promoting recognition of colonial crimes and their consequences in Germany.
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Civil society in Europe under pressure: insights provided by the 2025 Civic Space Report
The European Civic Forum presents an alarming assessment: civil liberties and civic engagement are increasingly under pressure across Europe. The report is a wake-up call to governments and EU institutions: democratic spaces, freedom of expression and civil society participation needs to be actively protected. Bureaucratic obstacles, political intimidation and financial uncertainty: the CIVICUS Monitor now classifies 17 countries – including Germany – as “obstructed”.
Particularly worrying is the rise of authoritarian tendencies: NGOs, climate and human rights activists, and marginalized groups are being delegitimized, smeared and even criminalized. Pressure is growing In Germany, too, as a result of far-right intimidation campaigns and vague legal frameworks around charitable status. The report calls for concrete reforms, including effective protection for peaceful protest and official recognition of civil society organizations as pillars of democratic societies. At the same time, civil society is showing resilience – mobilizing through strong networks, strategic alliances, and collective resistance.
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Spiegel+
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Grok and antisemitism: we risk losing what defines memory |
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The case of the Grok AI chatbot clearly shows that artificial intelligence is not neutral. When Grok spread antisemitic content and cast doubt on the number of Holocaust victims, it revealed the dangers of entrusting machines with historical responsibility. Digital memory is fragile, especially at a time when, according to the EVZ Foundation’s Gedenkanstoß MEMO study, there are now more respondents than ever who favor “drawing a line” under the Nazi past than are opposed to such an attitude.
Ruben Gerczikow warns: remembrance needs context, grief, empathy – all qualities that AI does not possess. In an age of rising far-right narratives and digital disinformation, our collective memory is at risk, particularly if we leave it unchecked in the hands of algorithms. According to his analysis, we need a digital culture of responsibility, based on clear ethical, legal and historical frameworks.
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Read the article in full
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NEW ANNUAL REPORT ON ANTIGYPSYISM
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Antigypsyism remains part of day-to-day life: MIA 2024 annual report documents a dramatic rise
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In 2024, the Reporting and Information Center on Antigypsyism (MIA) recorded a total of 1,678 antigypsyist incidents – an alarming increase of 36% over the previous year. The most common forms include verbal stereotyping, everyday discrimination, and assaults in public spaces or by authorities.Many of those affected are Roma refugees from Ukraine, who continue to experience institutional disadvantages. The report shows clearly that antigypsyism is a structural problem which is deeply rooted in society. MIA is calling for urgent action on the part of policymakers, civil society, and institutions. Have you experienced or witnessed an antigypsyist incident? Submit an anonymous report here! |
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Read the MIA 2024 annual report
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Deutschlandfunk kultur
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How companies are confronting their Nazi past
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During World War II, more than 13,000 forced laborers were employed by BASF alone – part of the industrial mass crimes committed under the umbrella of IG Farben. To this day, the material profits that German companies derived from NS forced labor have rarely been adequately addressed. The only major initiative came too late for many survivors, and yet it still marked a milestone: in 2000, the EVZ Foundation was established along with a fund to which the federal government and private industry pledged 5 billion deutschmarks each. Approximately 6,500 companies contributed to the fund. Over the years that followed, more than 1.6 million surviving victims received compensation payments ranging from EUR 2,500 to EUR 7,500.
Today, some companies – such as Deutsche Bahn and BASF – are actively engaging with their past by offering workshops for employees and youth projects in cooperation with memorial sites such as Sachsenhausen.
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Listen to the audio
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august 2, CENTRUM DIALOGU, ŁÓDŹ
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Remembrance Trails: memorial concert with music by Roma
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On August 2, Europe commemorates the victims of the systematic murder of Roma and Sinti during the Nazi era, while at the same time celebrating the survivors, their music, traditions, and culture. Together with its partners, the Polish advice and information center for Roma Centrum Doradztwa i Informacji dla Romów w Polsce is organizing a concert featuring Roma music at the Centrum Dialogu in Łódź. The event is part of the EVZ-funded project Remembrance Trails, which brings together young people from Germany and Poland aged 14 to 19. Over the course of a 10-day encounter at historical sites in Poland, participants explore the persecution of Jews, Roma and Sinti during the Nazi era, examine transgenerational trauma and create their own Instagram content on the topic.
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More detailed information about the project
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AUGUST 14, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm, DIGITAL
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Online input series Thursday Topic: Let’s explore! What is AI?
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What are large language models such as ChatGPT capable of? And where are their limits – especially when it comes to sensitive topics like National Socialism and the Holocaust In this interactive introduction, participants test their own prompts, analyze AI-generated responses and reflect together on the potential and risks of generative AI. The session is led by Tabea Glindemann, Intelligence Architect at Birds on Mars and a member of the feminist hackspace Heart of Code in Berlin. Participation requires access to an AI tool such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude.
How it works: Register via EVZ Academy, enter the code #Thursday and sign up for your preferred dates. A Zoom link and reminder will follow automatically. Additional sessions coming in September!
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Further details
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oktober 30, Berlin
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Save the Date – EVZ Conversations! live in Berlin
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On October 30, the final episode of the podcast series Ruins & Dreams will be recorded live at Publix Berlin as part of the event series EVZ Conversations! Entitled Resilience & Resistance – What we can learn from Ukrainian civil society, the discussion will feature Alona Karavai, Franziska Davies and Nataliya Pryhornytska. Moderation: Ira Peter.
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Discover all episodes of the podcast series
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JANUARY 27 AND 28, 2026, ACROSS GERMANY
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Second Eyes open cinema day on January 27: in cinemas all over Germany!
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The Eyes open cinema day returns on the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism, this time in six cities: Berlin, Dresden, Erfurt, Frankfurt/Main, Rostock and Stuttgart.
With school screenings in the morning and a public premiere event in the evening, films will be shown that address the Nazi era and the Holocaust. The cinema day responds to the alarming findings of the latest Gedenkanstoß MEMO study: knowledge of the Nazi period is declining, while at the same time many young people are seeking new ways to engage with the topic: Cinema can offer that access – as an emotional, activating space.
Accompanying materials and teacher training sessions support educators in using film to teach history.
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Check here for regular updates
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| NEWSLETTER issue 09/2025 |
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| Our next issue comes out at the beginning of September! |
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| It will include a wide range of event announcements from Education Agenda projects, an introduction to a new app on the history of the memorial to the Sinti and Roma murdered under National Socialism, and a first look at the next issue of the Education Agenda magazine. Stay tuned! |
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| All issues at a glance
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Stiftung Erinnerung,
Verantwortung und Zukunft
Friedrichstraße 200
10117 Berlin, Germany
T +49 (30) 25 92 97-0
F +49 (30) 25 92 97-11
Website
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Responsible:
Dr. Andrea Despot
Editorial:
Sophie Ziegler, Katrin Kowark, Jana Bültge, Sonja Folsche, Antonia Kruse
Image Credits:
Nastasiia Khadzhynova, Benjamin Griebe, Maciej Andrzejewski, Ondrej Stanek, Sophie Ziegler, Talking Archives, Viktor Tschowka, Jiří Lubojacký
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The editorial team welcomes your opinion on the newsletter and will be happy to answer any questions. We also help with any issues you might encounter: newsletter@stiftung-evz.de
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