Speeches

Speech by H.E. Valdas Adamkus, President of the Republic of Lithuania, at Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony Paneriai Memorial

Together with you who have lived through the greatest tragedy of the Jewish people, I bow my head before the Holocaust victims.

The pain of the Holocaust is also the pain of Lithuania because we lost Lithuanian Jews with whom we had lived together for centuries, suffered together the devastation caused by the occupiers of our land, and together we worked for a more just and more beautiful state. Unfortunately, the historical tradition of our two nations living together in peace was painfully tarnished by those who sold their conscience by collaborating with the Nazis.

But honor goes to those of our fellow citizens who at great risk to their own lives saved the Jews from the hands of butchers. These people felt a duty to witness by their own life that, even in the face of death, humans must remain humans and that truth can never be killed.

I believe that the lessons of history are immensely important for today's generation of democratic Lithuania. Therefore, those who have survived this terrible tragedy and all of us have a duty to let the world hear about the pain and suffering that happened, to never again allow the truth to walk the path of shadows, and in moments of immense sorrow to reach out, open our hearts and embrace truth.

In the whirlpool of daily work, we have to stop, look back and reflect to understand the great heroism of the Righteous of the World. Their life stories light up hope that together we will be able to create a better and a more just world.

I firmly believe that we, Lithuanians and Jews and all the people of good will, will do everything in our power to preserve our common human values, promote the unique Litvak heritage and educate the young generation in the spirit of mutual understanding.

Valdas Adamkus
President of the Republic of Lithuania