Austria marks 70th anniversary of liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp

Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann Tuesday paid tribute to the victims of the Nazi regime and resistance fighters to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp by U.S. troops.

"We remember all those who suffered, all those who died, at that place," Faymann said, referring to the concentration camp in Upper Austria where the number of people killed is estimated to run into the hundreds of thousands.

He said one must not simply let this day of the year pass as any other would, but rather engage in fundamental discussions in Austria and Europe, and learn the right lessons from history, something he said the European Union has been doing since its founding.

In a later press release to mark the remembrance activities the Chancellor spoke of "the darkest chapter in Austrian history," and said one must remain vigilant against radicalization, exclusion, violence, and racism.

A number of other prominent Austrian politicians including Vice-Chancellor Reinhold Mitterlehner echoed similar sentiments to those of the Chancellor in remembering the victims of the Nazi regime, and in denouncing racism and anti-Semitism. Endit