A Meeting in Berlin: Honoring the Past and Supporting the Present
An important meeting took place in the capital of Germany where the Deputy Mayor of Odesa, Pavlo Vugelman, met with the head of the regional association of Jewish former ghetto prisoners, Roman Shvartsman, and the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
This event was part of an official visit by the Odesa delegation, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Unfortunately, there are only a few left who can recount the horrors of National Socialism.
Roman Markovich Shvartsman, a resident of Odesa and a witness to those events, shared his survival story from World War II, discussing the Soviet authorities' attitude towards Jews and the current realities in Ukraine.
“I am grateful to you and the German Bundestag for the opportunity to share my story and honor the memory of those we lost. Your support for Ukraine and Odesa is very important to me,” said Roman Shvartsman.
During the discussions, the parties addressed pressing issues, including the situation in Odesa, the importance of memory, and the needs for protecting civilians and infrastructure, as well as the liberation of occupied territories.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier assured of Germany's support for Ukraine in this horrific war, emphasizing that democracy needs protection.
