Roman Shvartsman, an 88-year-old Ukrainian Holocaust survivor, delivered a powerful speech at the German Bundestag legislature on Jan. 29, serving as a poignant testimony to Nazi crimes and a reminder that we must never allow such a tragedy to repeat.
This was expressed by Lyudmyla Mlosh, President of the Central Union of Ukrainians in Germany (Zentralverband der Ukrainer in Deutschland, ZVUD), in an interview with the Ukrainian World Congress.
“Mr. Shvartsman gave an incredibly moving and dignified speech,” Mlosh said.
In his address, Shvartsman, a resident of Odesa, drew parallels between Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and the barbaric crimes committed by the Nazis during World War II.
“Back then, Hitler tried to kill me because I am Jewish. Now, Putin is trying to kill me because I am Ukrainian,” he said during the Bundestag session, which commemorated the victims of National Socialism, as reported by public broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
He urged today’s generations to act so that no one ever endures such suffering and torture again, emphasizing that it is both a historical and moral responsibility.
Shvartsman also called on Germany to increase its military support for Ukraine.
“I urge you, arm us, so that Putin ends this war of destruction,” he stated, stressing the need for long-range missiles for Ukraine.
Bundestag President Bärbel Bas opened the session, which was attended by political leaders from across Germany. The audience gave Shvartsman a standing ovation, Mlosh said.
You can read the full text of his speech at the provided link.
Shvartsman is the head of the Odesa Regional Jewish Association. At the age of five, he was taken to the Bershad ghetto in Vinnytsia region.
Cover: screenshot from video
