Luxembourg Represented at 20th Anniversary of European Association of Jewish Heritage

Luxembourg's Ministry of Culture has reported that Minister Eric Thill attended the official celebration of the 20th anniversary of the European Association for the Preservation and Promotion of Jewish Culture and Heritage (AEPJ) in Strasbourg, France, on Thursday 23 January 2025.

Luxembourg's Minister for Culture visited the Council of Europe in Strasbourg for this celebration. The AEPJ is responsible for the European Days of Jewish Culture festival and the European Routes of Jewish Heritage, among other things.

The Culture Ministry reported that Minister Thill was keen to join the AEPJ to mark this anniversary - and not only because Luxembourg currently holds the presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and because the headquarters of the AEPJ and the cultural routes programme are in Luxembourg. As the minister pointed out in his speech, in a context of resurgence of anti-Semitism, intolerance and hatred in all forms, it was also important for him to show his support and sensitivity to the culture of memory and living together that the AEPJ promotes.

With the world commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, Minister Thill emphasised the fact that this new generation of which he is a part is deeply aware of its responsibility to carry on the memory. "Being a memory-passer is not only remembering, but also transmitting, reflecting and acting so that the mistakes of the past are never repeated," he emphasised.

The minister also recalled that culture and the culture of memory are essential in this context, because culture not only provides the keys to understanding "the other", but also "provides, nourishes and continually regenerates this fabric of mutual understanding that is the basis of our community of democratic values". His ministry recalled that Luxembourg is committed to promoting this inherent link between culture and democracy, both in its current presidency of the Committee of Ministers and through its commitment and support since 1998 for cultural routes.

Minister Thill concluded by praising the work carried out by the AEPJ: "By placing Jewish heritage at the centre of your actions, you contribute not only to the preservation of our common history, but also to the promotion of tolerance and mutual respect. Your efforts remind us that memory is a responsibility that falls to us all."

Following the ceremony at the Council of Europe, Luxembourg's Culture Minister also took advantage of his trip to Strasbourg to meet with Martine Lizola, President of the Culture, Memory and Heritage Commission of the Grand Est Region, and Lucille Steinhilber, Director of Culture, Heritage and Memory, to deepen cross-border cooperation around these key issues.