Swiss Review 4/2021

19 Swiss Review / August 2021 / No.4 The authors of the memorial proposal submitting their project to the Federal Council. Photo: Keystone nowledged this,” she says. Former federal judge Vera Rot- tenberg, 77, also supports thememorial proposal.When she was a baby, Rottenberg and her Jewish family only narrowly escaped deportation from German-occupied Budapest in 1944. Because Vera’s mother had lost her Swiss citizenship bymarrying a Hungarian, the familywere initially refused repatriation. It was only thanks to the determined inter- vention of a diplomat that they were able to flee. “Harald Feller was the diplomat,” says Rottenberg, adding that too little is known about himand other courageous Swiss men and women who saved people in their hour of need. Standing up for democracy The authors of the proposal believe it is important tomake reference to the present day. “The massive increase in an- ti-Semitism on social media worries us,” says Lewin. Hate speech, discrimination, and racism need to be combated. Because as history shows: “Thoughts turned into words, words turned into deeds.” The memorial is intended to in- crease awareness of core values such as democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Parliament supports the plan for an official Swiss remembrance site. Before the summer recess, the Council of States unanimously approved a mo- tion to this effect from the SP politicianDaniel Jositsch. Nu- merous members of parliament across the political spec- trumsigned an identical motion fromAlfredHeer (SVP) in the National Council. The government is also open to the proposal. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (FDP) said that the Federal Council wanted to play an active part in crea- ting a memorial. The government cannot impose the pro- ject, the impetusmust come fromthe people –which it does in this instance, he acknowledged. www.swissmemorial.ch | www.stolpersteine.ch “Stolpersteine” (stumbling stones) commemorating the victims of National Socia- lism have now been laid in Swiss cities too. Photo: Keystone