People mingling, music in background. Conference preparations. 01:11:07 Miles Lerman introduces the International Liberators Conference. Explains what the conference will consist of. He explains that he was a Polish partisan and on his return to his hometown; only 11 of the original 16,000 Jews survived. Every survivor has a similar tale of misery. 01:18:11 Rabbi Nadich prays. (visually fuzzy) 01:21:15 Elliot Abrams, U.S. Dept of State introduces next speaker, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Secretary of State. Discusses the difficulty of such a history and how to remember it. 01:29:25 Elie Wiesel is introduced. 01:31:40 Wiesel starts. Discusses a bond established between people here,"we became each other's witnesses" Describes liberation and the liberators' reaction; what the liberators meant to the survivors - they were heroes and idols. Talks about the US Holocaust Memorial Council (of whom he is the chairman); Holocaust denial; the unity of all the Allies and their battle against Nazism. 01:47:43 Speaks in French. The liberators stopped the process of killing mankind. 01:51:00 Speaks in English again, talks of telling the tale yet there seems to still be a threat. 01:53:30 Dedicating oneself (liberators and survivors) to preventing earth from becoming a prison again. Raising ones voice against hate, forgetfulness, war - because who will if we don't. Testifying together is why we are here. 01:57:56 Introduction of all the representatives of delegations at conference.
The International Liberators Conference took place at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. from October 26-28, 1981. The conference was sponsored by the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. A publication titled"The Liberation of Nazi Concentration Camps 194" (1987) summarizes the testimonies.
" master video reel stored with USHMM Institutional Records in the USHMM Archives.
Opening ceremony