March 21, 2019 — Los Angeles
On March 21, 2019, while AJC’s Transatlantic Institute hosted Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in Brussels, AJC Los Angeles hosted Secretary General Hannah Lessing of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism in LA. A coincidental, albeit perfectly timed event.
In front of an intimate AJC audience, Hannah, the daughter of Holocaust survivor and famed photographer Erich Lessing, wove in her personal experiences as she discussed the Austrian government’s improving policies toward responsibility, remembrance, and restitution over the past several decades. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s impeccably timed remarks at AJC earlier in the day—that “the historical responsibility of Austria does not end at its borders,” allowed us to give credit to Hannah for already doing just that; for almost 25 years, Hannah has travelled well-beyond Austria’s borders to locate Austrian victims of National Socialism across the globe, to repay them, and to—in the words of Austrian Consul General Andreas Launer—simply give them a hug.
And while she cannot return life to Holocaust victims or childhood to Holocaust survivors, Hannah has been able to compensate survivors with over 300 million euros, restitute property and art, and continue the fight against antisemitism which—in its traditional forms—never truly went away in Austria, and today is remerging. AJC Los Angeles concluded the evening by praising Hannah for her career and life-long commitment to caring for Holocaust survivors, preserving Holocaust memory, and combating antisemitism, hatred, and xenophobia in all its forms.
