Prize winners

Zikaron BaSalon

Zikaron BaSalon (in Hebrew: Living Room Remembrance) is a social initiative commemorating the Holocaust. The initiative focuses on the testimonies of Holocaust survivors, bringing new meaning and inviting participants from all sectors and of all ages to take an active part in preserving the memory of the Holocaust for future generations. It is a unique and authentic tradition of people gathering together to open their hearts to the stories of the survivors, sing, think, read, talk, and most importantly listen. Zikaron BaSalon is now active in 65 countries.

Michèle Pauty

The association IM-MER, founded by Waltraud Barton, has set itself the task of preserving the memory of the 10,000 Austrians deported to Minsk and Maly Trostinec during the Second World War and murdered in the greater Minsk area, of anchoring Maly Trostinec in Austria‘s collective memory as a place of extermination, and of contributing through educational work – especially in the field of human rights and questions of civil courage – to ensuring that nothing like that can ever happen again in the name of justice. Waltraud Barton was a pioneering advocate for the memory of Maly Trostinec and achieved the erection of a memorial for the victims.

Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi

Prof. Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi founded in 2007 the Wasatia Movement to promote moderation, peace, and tolerance. He has been active in combating antisemitism and educating people about the Holocaust. He became known beyond Israel‘s borders in the spring of 2014 when he led a group of 27 Palestinian university students on a trip to Auschwitz to promote the study of the Holocaust and issues of reconciliation and empathy. This caused Prof. Dajani to lose his academic posts at Al-Quds University. He received death threats, his car was set on fire and his personal safety has been at risk ever since.

Lily Ebert/Dov Forman

Lily Ebert was born in Hungary in 1923 and deported to Auschwitz concentration camp in 1944, where her mother, younger brother and sister were murdered. After four months, Ebert and two of her other sisters were put to work in a munitions factory near Leipzig, where she was liberated by US troops. Via Switzerland and Israel, she arrived in England in 1967 with three children. Today, her great-grandson, Dov Forman, runs a TikTok account for Lily Ebert with over 1.6 million followers and has also published a book with her.

Zwi Nigal

Born in Vienna in 1923, Zwi Nigal fled to Palestine in 1939 and fought in the British army against Nazi Germany. His father was murdered in the Holocaust. In 1946, Nigal returned to Vienna as a British soldier, but did not want to live there anymore. He joined the underground paramilitary organisation Haganah and fought in the Israeli War of Independence in 1948. Since his retirement, he has lectured as a contemporary witness to an average of 1,500 schoolchildren each year in Germany and Austria.

Karl Pfeifer

Karl Pfeifer was born in Baden near Vienna in 1928 and fled to Hungary with his parents in 1938. He managed to escape to Palestine and returned to Austria in 1951. Pfeifer is active as a journalist and was editor of the "Gemeinde", the official organ of the Jewish Community of Vienna. Until 2005, he worked as a Vienna correspondent for Israeli radio and as a freelance journalist for magazines. He is active in his work against antisemitism.

Liliane Segre

Liliana Segre was born in Milan on 10 September 1930. In 1944, at the age of 13, she was one of 776 Italian children deported to Auschwitz. Only 25 survived. To this day, Segre remains active as a contemporary witness on television, in theatres and in schools. She has become one of Italy's most important moral authorities. Segre is president of the Special Committee against Intolerance, Racism and Antisemitism and a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Children and Adolescence. She is also the author and co-author of numerous articles and books. She is particularly concerned about communicating with children and young people.

FStN

In 1998, the Central Austrian Investigation Office for Post-War Justice was founded with the aim of documenting the Austrian judiciary's involvement with Nazi crimes by recording and indexing the files of public prosecutors' offices and courts. It is intended to contribute towards safeguarding this part of Europe's legal cultural heritage and to bring historical experience to bear on the debate about war crimes and human rights violations of the present day. In this respect, its work is particularly close to that of Simon Wiesenthal in terms of both content and difficulties faced.

Jüdisches Forum für Demokratie und gegen Antisemitismus e.V.

In 2008, the Jewish Forum for Democracy and Against Anti-Semitism (JFDA), initiated by Levi Salomon, was founded with the support of Lala Süsskind and the Jewish Community of Berlin. It aims to strengthen democratic governance, promote interreligious and intercultural exchange, and help those persecuted on political, racial, or religious grounds. This includes the fight against antisemitism and racism. In addition to carrying out educational, public relations and cultural work, the JFDA conducts independent monitoring and records and evaluates antisemitic incidents and tendencies as well as other incidents directed against German Basic Law (constitutional law) and human rights.