Volkswagen congratulates holocaust survivor and former forced labourer Sara Frenkel-Bass on her 100th birthday. All her life she has campaigned for respect and tolerance, and to ensure the past is not forgotten. Volkswagen is profoundly connected to her and grateful for her valuable contribution to the company’s remembrance work.
Talking to young people is of great importance to Sara Frenkel-Bass. For this reason, the company has come up with something rather special and personal to wish her a happy birthday: just short of 100 Volkswagen trainees assembled to pose for a photo at Sara-Frenkel-Platz. Whilst there, they also laid down roses in memory of the children from the children’s home in Rühen, who died during the era of national socialism. Two of the young Volkswagen employees, Lina Schröder and Nils Hegemann, had studied Sara Frenkel-Bass’s biography and offered all those present the opportunity to learn more about the work of Sara Frenkel-Bass through an impressive presentation. Their rallying cry: “Sara Frenkel is a hero, who has left her mark. Let us spread her message. Address injustice, don’t look away!” A group photo and a birthday wish signed by everyone involved were delivered to the centenarian in Antwerp. However, the real gift is the lasting commitment of the young people.
For Gunnar Kilian, Board Member for Human Resources at Volkswagen AG, remembrance work is an important part of the company’s culture and an equally integral component of professional training. As such, the 100th birthday of Sara Frenkel-Bass is particularly important to the company and its employees: “Sara Frenkel-Bass has shared her experiences as a holocaust survivor with generations of young people at Volkswagen and beyond. Her commitment to ensuring that the past is not forgotten, and to the fundamental values we share, is more important than ever at the present time. We are extremely grateful for that, as expressed in this photo, which is a sign of that appreciation, which came about on the initiative of our trainees. On behalf of Volkswagen, I wish Sara Frenkel-Bass all the best on her big day.”
Daniela Cavallo, Chairwoman of the General and Group Works Council, stressed the importance of the dialogue between generations, which Volkswagen maintains in exemplary fashion for the topics of remembrance and responsibility. The commitment, and the conscious and responsible way in which the young Volkswagen employees have approached the past here, on behalf of the Volkswagen workforce, would not…
Read Full Article Source
