On May 17, 2026, UPF Burgenland, in cooperation with the team working to establish the Parndorf Memorial Site and with the support of the Municipality of Parndorf, hosted the fourth “Festival of Peace” – a moving commemorative event honoring the victims of National Socialism. The well-attended ceremony was characterized by a dignified yet hopeful atmosphere. ORF Burgenland TV featured a detailed report on the event the following evening. Organizers and participants expressed high satisfaction and confirmed that the commemoration would return next year.
Opening and Musical Accompaniment
Actress Valentina Himmelbauer skillfully moderated the evening. In her opening remarks, she emphasized that the event was not only an invitation to pause and reflect, but also a call to look beyond the past and take responsibility for the future. She highlighted core values such as reconciliation, remorse, forgiveness, solace, and humanity — universal principles essential at every level of life, from families and communities to nations and international relations.
The young woodwind trio Cantovento from Burgenland (Marie-Theres Allacher on flute, Hannah Sachslehner on oboe, and Noah Rak on clarinet, under the direction of Marina Fleischhacker) provided outstanding musical accompaniment. Trained at the Frauenkirchen Music School, the ensemble achieved a state victory at the 2026 “prima la musica” competition, placing it among Austria’s top young musicians. They opened with the first movement (Allegro moderato) of Joseph Haydn’s London Trio No. 1 in C major, Hob. IV:1, and later performed the second movement (Andante) of the same work, “Ritornello in blue” by Kenji Sakai, and two movements from Christopher Ball’s “Four Dances for flute, oboe & clarinet.”
Official Greetings and Blessing
Vice Mayor Wolfgang Daniel represented Mayor Wolfgang Kovac. In his welcome address, he stressed the importance of respectful coexistence and an active culture of remembrance as foundations for a peaceful future. He thanked the associations and initiatives that enrich social and cultural life in Parndorf.
The long-time local Catholic parish priest Mag. Franz Borenitsch read from the Bible. Valentina Himmelbauer paid tribute to him as someone who embodies faith as a unifying force and offers comfort through genuine human connection.
Short Lectures and Personal Stories
Mag. Elisabeth Brandner-Balkovic, a Burgenland-Croatian author specializing in regional contemporary history and women’s stories, spoke about two remarkable figures: trade unionist and resistance fighter Hanna Sturm, and Käthe Sasso, who would have turned 100 in 2026. With great empathy, she brought historical events to life and gave voice to often-overlooked individuals.
Dr. Christa Wendelin, head of the working group for the new memorial site, reported on forced laborers along the Austrian-Hungarian border and shared her latest research findings. She emphasized that remembrance must go beyond abstract reflection to make the people behind the events — their fates, hopes, and losses — visible. Under her leadership, the memorial site has been created as a place that both warns and inspires hope.
Johann Rechberger from the Universal Peace Federation, an NGO with General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, whose co-founder Hak Ja Han was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize this year, recounted the moving story of Hungarian Jew Ernö Lazarovits. Lazarovits survived the death march from Rechnitz to Mauthausen and was liberated in Gunskirchen in May 1945. Rechberger read excerpts from Lazarovits’ book My Way Through Hell. One particularly powerful moment described a half-starved fellow prisoner pulling the collapsed Lazarovits to his feet and whispering, “Get up — if you stay down, you’re dead.” Rechberger highlighted that the routes of Hungarian-Jewish forced laborers also passed through Burgenland, leaving traces of suffering that are part of today’s landscape.
Opening of the Exhibition “What Now”
The event also featured the opening of the exhibition “What Now,” provided by the World Holocaust Remembrance Center Yad Vashem. It explores the challenging new beginnings faced by Jewish survivors after 1945 — the pain of memory and the strength to rebuild life. The opening address was delivered by Mag. Johannes Reiss, longtime director of the Jewish Museum Eisenstadt and widely known as “The Transcriber” for his dedicated work documenting Jewish cemeteries and gravestones. Reiss combines scholarly precision with deep sensitivity for individual stories.
Conclusion and Outlook
Valentina Himmelbauer concluded the formal program by inviting guests to visit the exhibition and enjoy the buffet while engaging in conversation. The evening ended in an atmosphere of deep emotion and respectful exchange, with many attendees visibly moved by the personal stories they had heard.
Johann Rechberger captured the essence of the event: “Remembrance is a decision — a decision about how we want to live. A decision whether we stand with one another or against one another.”
With its fourth “Festival of Peace,” Parndorf has once again shown that a living, active culture of remembrance is both meaningful and forward-looking. The organizers are already looking ahead with optimism to next year’s event.