Thousands commemorates liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria

Foreign delegations, Austrian political leaders and survivors gathered with thousands of people, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Mauthausen concentration camp on Sunday.

The annual commemoration has particular significance this year due to the 70th anniversary of the end of War this year. Austrian President Heinz Fischer and Chancellor Werner Faymann attended the commemoration.

Located about 20 kilometers away from the Austrian city of Linz in the Upper Austrian province, Mauthausen concentration camp was established by the SS, Schutzstaffel (protection squadron), in August 1938, five months after the annexation of Austria to the German Reich, and the camp was finally liberated on May 5, 1945 by U.S. troops.

Stefan Sot, a Polish survivor told Xinhua, all the prisoners were like families in the concentration camp at that time, he now came here to commemorate his families who died here 70 years ago.

Sot was lucky to survive with his mother from Mauthausen because the U.S. troops came shortly after he was transferred to the camp at the age of 12.

In total, almost 200,000 people from practically every European states as well as non-European countries were deported to the camp on account of their political activity, their "criminal record," religious conviction, homosexuality, for "racist" reasons or as prisoners of war. Half of them died.

Mauthausen Memorial Director Barbara Glueck said the site of the Mauthausen camp is a reminder of the political and racial persecution by the Nazi regime on Austrian territory. Endit