Never again!

I am a well advanced contemporary, I kindly ask you to promise:

Never again, never forget!

Susanne Bock's message

What does it mean to be 18 years old and, from one day to the next, be forced to leave your homeland and the people you love—simply because you have the “wrong” religion and the “wrong” political views? What does it mean to return home at age 25 and have to start completely from scratch because the professional experience you gained abroad isn’t recognized back home? What does it do to a person to finally return from years in exile, only to realize that not everyone welcomes you back?

Susanne Bock experienced all of this in her long life: Austrofascism, the banning of political parties, arrest for her political activities, the annexation of Austria, the impact of the Nuremberg race laws, and finally her flight—an act that secured her survival. She preserved her memories of this time in her books and in the many talks she gave as a contemporary witness, in which she spoke about her struggle to survive and to exist.

Throughout her life, Susanne Bock was dedicated to preserving the memories of those who were forced into exile. Shortly before her 100th birthday, during a Holocaust Remembrance Day event at Vienna’s Heldenplatz, she asked the following generations to promise that what happened back then must never happen again—and must never be forgotten.

This is where the project "Letters to Susanne Bock" comes in. As part of our culture of remembrance, we invite you to reflect: What can you contribute to ensuring that memory lives on? What would it have been like for you if, at the age of 18, you had to leave your homeland with nothing but a suitcase in your hand?

Writing letters was always of great importance to Susanne Bock. We are convinced she would have been deeply moved to receive a letter from you as well. So please—write a letter to brief@susannebock.at – and we will publish it here on this website!