The Federal Minister of the Interior On 5 May 1945 the Mauthausen Concentration Camp was liberated. American soldiers were the first to publish pictures of the atrocities committed behind the walls of Mauthausen for seven years. The traces of these crimes have sunk into collective memory. However, the question as to who was responsible was avoided for too long. The decision to preserve the former concentration camp and to establish a memorial site is a clear commitment to keep these memories alive for all generations to come. Remembering and denouncing the Nazi crimes of which Mauthausen is a symbol should become a central aspect of a new Austrian national consciousness. The Mauthausen Concentration Camp has always been and still is a point of crystallization of European history going beyond national borders. Mauthausen was a place where the destinies of citizens of numerous European and non-European states met. It is imperative to honour their memory and to secure the traces of a common international history to prevent any repetition by all means. Maria Fekter Federal Minister of the Interior