11th “Future of Remembrance” Forum 2026 Descendants in Remembrance Culture and Educational Work

All participants please register via our online registration by October 9, 2026, at the latest:  https://eveeno.com/137255330

Tous les participants sont priés de s'inscrire via notre formulaire d'inscription en ligne avant le 9 octobre 2026 : https://eveeno.com/137255330

Rogamos a todos los participantes que se inscriban en línea antes del 9 de octubre de 2026:  https://eveeno.com/137255330

“Future of Remembrance” Forum

As part of the “Future of Remembrance” Forum in November 2024, we last addressed the present and future of remembrance culture, in light of the gradual passing of eyewitnesses and current societal challenges. Last year, we decided to hold the Forum every two years instead of annually – in order to make room for new programs for relatives of victims of Nazi persecution and civil society initiatives such as the “Tent of Diverse Remembrance” (May 2025) and “Memory Matters!” (May 2026), a “Day for Relatives” (November 2025 and planned for fall 2027), and workshops for relatives (planned for May 2027).

We are now all the more excited to reunite after two years and look forward to what we hope will be lively participation in the 11th “Future of Remembrance” Forum, which will take place on November 11 and 12, 2026. This time, we are offering two clusters – each consisting of two individual events – on descendants in remembrance culture and educational work: one focusing on the engagement and agency of relatives of victims of Nazi persecution and the other addressing issues surrounding Nazi perpetrators within the family. We have invited a number of interesting guests to each of these sessions.

The program 2026

The first day

The first day, before the public part of the Forum begins, features a special program for relatives of former concentration camp prisoners and other victims of Nazi persecution – regardless of whether they have only recently begun exploring their family history or have been doing so for some time. The workshop for relatives provides a space to exchange ideas with other descendants of victims about their respective family histories and how they come to terms with them. The general part of the Forum begins in the early afternoon of November 11. This year, our country focus is on Ukraine. We have invited two relatives of former concentration camp prisoners from Kyiv. Together with other relatives, they are in the process of founding a Ukrainian association for victims of persecution (amicale). Following their visits to Hamburg in recent years, this initiative aims to sustain and strengthen remembrance efforts. The panel discussion will also address issues surrounding the culture of remembrance in the Soviet Union and Ukraine.

This will be followed by a panel featuring individuals who offer discussion seminars and other event formats on Nazi perpetration at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial or other locations. In addition to presenting the various approaches and fields of work, the discussion will focus on exploring the opportunities and challenges in educational work with perpetration and reflecting on potential pitfalls associated with it.

Public evening event in Hamburg-Bergedorf regarding the topic: “Perpetration in Public and Private Discourse”

The question of how to deal with Nazi perpetrators in one’s family has been a focus of public attention in Germany for some time – not just since the new online tool for searching for NSDAP members in one’s own family became available. The topic of perpetration is increasingly present in books, films, and plays, and opportunities for research and dialogue aimed at the descendants of those involved in Nazi crimes are gaining noticeable traction. Our guests will discuss these societal developments as well as the silence within families and different approaches to dealing with a family’s Nazi legacy.

The second day

Representatives of associations of former prisoners of the Neuengamme concentration camp and their relatives from various European countries attend the “Future of Remembrance” Forum each time. In the early morning of November 12 , we will learn about these associations’ current projects. At a later date, we will announce which projects these will be.

In recent years, with funding from the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” (EVZ Foundation), various stakeholders from several German cities have launched a wide range of projects for and with relatives of victims of Nazi persecution, guided by the empowering theme “What Voice Do We Have?”. We are very much looking forward to learning about the four different projects in a two-part event – presented both by coordinators from the participating organizations and by relatives who are contributing to the projects.

In the morning of November 12 , we will bring together the projects on “What Voice Do We Have?” from the Sachsenhausen and Neuengamme memorial sites in an initial panel discussion. After lunch, there will be a conversation with project participants from AMCHA Germany (Berlin) and the Federal Association Information and Advice for Survivors of Nazi Persecution (Cologne). We will also speak with representatives from the EVZ Foundation about funding for this project and the future of similar projects involving relatives.

At the end of the Forum , we would like to give participants the opportunity to actively shape the closing session. Using the “fishbowl” discussion method, everyone present will have the chance to speak on the questions and topics raised, engage in discussion with one another, and draw conclusions.

Notes

All participants please register via our online registration by October 9, 2026, at the latest:  https://eveeno.com/137255330

We look forward to seeing you and to many interesting discussions!

Concept : Dr. Alexandre Froidevaux and Dr. Susann Lewerenz as well as Paula Scholz

Venue: Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial, Study Center, Jean-Dolidier-Weg 75, 21039 Hamburg

There will be simultaneous translation into German, English and Spanish, as well as, if required, into French and Polish.

Note on the Space to Remember, Connect and Support: Anyone who has designed a poster and would like to print it during the days is cordially invited to contact us well in advance.

Programme (English) Update 11.9.2026

Programme (German) Update 11.9.2026