8.Mai GEDENKKUNDGEBUNG AM EL-DE-HAUS (Appellhofplatz); 80 Jahre Kriegsende und Befreiung vom Nationalsozialismus

In the organizer's words:

May 8 | 6 p.m. | Location: EL-DE House | Commemorative rally

The EL-DE House was once the headquarters of the Gestapo in Cologne. It was the place for the systematic persecution of political dissidents, those persecuted on racial grounds and because of their sexual orientation. People were interrogated, humiliated, tortured and murdered here. From 1939, forced laborers from all countries of origin were interned, tortured and, in particular, those with Slavic roots were murdered in the EL-DE-Haus. Jews, Soviet prisoners of war, Ukrainian forced laborers and French members of the Resistance, Sinti and Roma were imprisoned in the Messelager in Cologne-Deutz and the Cologne-Müngersdorf deportation camp before being deported and then transported to the extermination camps.

The event will be opened by a greeting from the Lord Mayor Henriette Reker.

Speakers include:
- Roman Schvartsman, survivor of the Bershad (Odessa) ghetto
- Dr. Henning Borggräfe, Director of the Cologne Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism
- Witich Roßmann, Chairman of DGB Cologne
Prof. Igor Epstein and other musicians will create a musical memorial performance.