The King has started his visit to Poland to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz with a speech to mark the 'sombre and sacred moment'. Speaking at the Jewish Community Centre in Krakow, Poland, the King said it is 'vital to remember the evils of the past' in order to 'inform our present and shape our future'. Following his speech, the King unveiled a plaque and met survivors and campaigners gathered at the centre. Later, the King will visit Auschwitz for the first time as part of commemorations marking Holocaust Memorial Day. Report by Faragt. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00Ladies and gentlemen,
00:26To be in Poland on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, as we commemorate eighty
00:34years since the liberation of Auschwitz, is both a somber and indeed a sacred moment.
00:43It is a moment when we recall the six million Jews, old and young, who were systematically
00:51murdered together with Sinti, Roma, disabled people, members of the LGBT community, political
01:00prisoners and so many others upon whom the Nazis inflicted their violence and hatred.
01:10It is a moment when we recall the depths to which humanity can sink when evil is allowed
01:18to flourish, ignored for too long by the world.
01:23And it is a moment when we recall the powerful testimonies of survivors such as Lili Ebert,
01:30who so sadly passed away in October, and who collectively taught us to cherish our freedom,
01:38to challenge prejudice and never to be a bystander in the face of violence and hate.
01:49And in a world that remains full of turmoil and strife, and has witnessed the dangerous
01:58re-emergence of anti-Semitism, there can be no more important message, especially as the
02:05United Kingdom holds the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
02:14As the number of Holocaust survivors regrettably diminishes with the passage of time, the responsibility
02:23of remembrance rests far heavier on our shoulders and on those of generations yet unborn.
02:33The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task.
02:40And in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future.
02:46Here in Krakow, from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish community has been reborn.
02:54And there is no greater symbol of this rebirth than the Jewish community center in which
03:01we are gathered here today.
03:05Standing on the steps of this wonderfully vibrant center some 17 years ago, having encouraged
03:13its construction and taken immense pride in opening it, I was filled with a sense of hope
03:22and optimism at the life and energy that coursed throughout this building.
03:29So returning today, along with World Jewish Relief, of which I am extremely proud to be
03:34patron, that sense of hope and optimism has only grown.
03:42With their support, together with other generous benefactors, this center has blossomed from
03:49the bud of an idea into an essential hub for the community.
03:56Ladies and gentlemen, in a post-Holocaust world, projects such as this center are how
04:04we recover our faith in humanity.
04:07They also show us there is much work still to be done if we are not just to remember
04:14the past, but to use it to inspire us to build a kinder and more compassionate world for
04:22future generations, a world of which we can be truly proud.
04:29And this remains the sacred task of us all.
04:35Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
04:52Your Majesty, I know that I speak on behalf of all of us when I say that your words and
05:12your actions move us extraordinarily deeply, and your strength and your leadership in knowing
05:18what is right and following through what is right will be remembered and appreciated
05:23by not just those who survived the Holocaust, but by the Jewish community and indeed by
05:28the nation, the Commonwealth, and by humanity.
05:31We are genuinely, genuinely grateful to you, and you moved us very deeply, Your Majesty.