World Holocaust Forum

The World Holocaust Forum Foundation was established in 2005 under the chairmanship of Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, president of the European Jewish Congress.

The declaration calls for preserving memories about the tragic events of World War II and uniting efforts in the fight against xenophobia, antisemitism and international terrorism.

Catherine Ashton, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security oolicy, was the guest of honor at this event.

The forum was a starting point of political significance meant to attract the attention of the global community and remind the public of the unparalleled united struggle by members of the Allied coalition against fascism and the decisive role of the Soviet Union in Europe's liberation.

The main result of the forum was an announcement of the initiative to establish a new special educational and research institution, a 'Pan-European University of Global Security and Tolerance.'

[14] Several hundred distinguished guests — including heads of state, political leaders, members of parliament, diplomats, scholars and public figures from many countries; one of few surviving Auschwitz-Birkenau liberators Leonty Brandt; former prisoners of the concentration camps and Holocaust survivors — were in attendance.

The two-day event consisted of two major parts: the Forum of World Civil Society held at Prague Castle, and the commemorative ceremony in Terezín.

Well-known U.S. human rights activist Abraham Foxman, historian and Yale University professor Timothy David Snyder, French writer and philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy, head of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Cemil Çiçek, President of the Chamber of Deputies of Romania Valeriu Zgonea and other preeminent individuals attended the forum's first day.

Russia was represented by Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Ilyas Umakhanov and President of the World Public Forum Dialogue of Civilizations Vladimir Yakunin.

On January 27, 2015, the Czech president Miloš Zeman hosted the final session of the forum and an official ceremony to commemorate the Holocaust's victims.

The National Philharmonic of Russia, which consisted of 98 musicians under the direction of Vladimir Spivakov, performed the Yellow Stars concerto for orchestra by Isaac Schwartz accompanied by a video about the Holocaust history.

[18] The event coincided with the 75th anniversary of the liberation the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp by the Red Army (January 27, 1945) and International Holocaust Remembrance Day.