Kerkeling stated that forgetting the victims’ memory risks future complicity in wrongdoing. His remarks came amid political tensions, as Culture Minister Weimer faced disruptions during his speech. This year, no survivors spoke due to travel issues linked to the Iran conflict, although two former inmates attended. The Buchenwald memorial condemned a controversial campaign that aimed to draw parallels between Buchenwald and Gaza, labeling it as Holocaust relativization. The site, which housed nearly 280,000 victims from 1937 to 1945, remains a significant symbol of Nazi atrocities.