DISINFO: Norway criticised the EU for rewriting history on Auschwitz
SUMMARY
Norway criticized the EU for rewriting history over von der Leyen's comments on Auschwitz: It was the Red Army, not Allied forces, which liberated the prisoners of Auschwitz, the largest Nazi concentration camp in history. This was stated by a professor at the University of South-East Norway, in response to a statement by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. “A kind of bold historical revisionism on the part of the EU. The Soviet Union was part of the Allied forces, but it was the Red Army that liberated Auschwitz”.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin narrative about the alleged historical revisionism of Western countries with a deceptive title suggesting that Norway blamed the EU for Ursula von der Leyen declarations.
The article refers to a tweet reposting the Russian Mission in Brussels. While the author of the post is of Norwegian nationality, it does not hold a position representing the views of the Norwegian government. Moreover, the author is frequently invited to speak in Russian media and this post was in fact repeating the original claims of Russian mission implying that at the time of the opening of the concentration and death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau the Red army was not part of the Allied forces fighting against the third Reich.
While on the 15 September 1939 Soviet Union attacked Poland and annexed more than half of it territory without being part of the military alliance against Nazi Germany, the liberation of the camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau occurred on 27 January 1945 by soviet soldier as members of the Allied troops. The Soviet Union was part of the great alliance since the Anglo-Soviet treaty of 12 July 1941 and after 1 October 1941 Soviet Union was beneficiary of the lend lease support program.
Claiming that soviet soldiers were not part of the Allies is historical revisionism.
Ahead of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, EU commission President von der Leyen insisted that “never again” is now:
The unprecedented spike of antisemitic acts we have seen all over Europe reminds us of the darkest time of our history. What is different now, however, is that we all stand with the Jewish communities. There is no place for antisemitic hatred, especially here in Europe. And there is no justification to antisemitism.
She mentioned that:
In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the Holocaust Remembrance (60/7) designated 27 January as the international commemoration day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. On 27 January 1945, the Allied Forces liberated the concentration and death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Read also connected stories such as: Polish President refused to take part in the World Holocaust Forum to not be reminded about role of the Red Army, or Poland did not invite President Putin for the commemorations of the 75th Anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation Or It is historically unfair that Russia was presented at the Auschwitz ceremony only at the ambassador's level, or Warsaw rewriting WWII history for propaganda purposes.