Margot Friedländer was greeted with a big round of applause and welcomed by partners and lawyers Prof. Christian Held and Astrid Meyer-Hetling. The latter had initiated the visit. Margot Friedländer then read from her book “Try to make your life” – the impressing story of her life.

It was absolutely quiet in the conference room – you could have heard a pin drop. All attendees – employees of the BBH group and their families – listened in stunned silence in the conference room or in front of their screens, captivated and moved by her story.

For Margot Friedländer, sharing her story with the next generations is a cause close to her heart.

“It is for those who didn’t make it; that I can speak for them. Why am I doing this? So that you know what people did to fellow human beings. Were these people human beings? I say no. The sentence ‘Be human!’ says it all. It is for you. It is for your future. For democracy.”

After the reading, one of the central questions asked was: How can the horrific events of the Holocaust be conveyed to young people so that they understand that history must never be allowed to repeat itself?

Margot Friedländer’s answer was brief but the few words said it all:

“No human being should ever have to go through what we have gone through, not even for a single day. It is for you, for the future, for democracy. I do not need many words to make you understand: Be human. Be human beings. That is all I want you to remember.”

It was particularly moving to have the opportunity to have a word with Margot Friedländer after the event. Some of our employees had the chance to meet and speak to her in person while she was autographing several copies of her book from the reading – a truly unforgettable moment for every one of them.

grateful to have met this extraordinary woman who, by sharing her personal story, reminded us of what really matters in life:

“Be human!”

The BBH group is committed to strengthening democratic values and is actively involved in further democracy projects. We support the campaign #ZUSAMMENLAND, the “Vereint für Demokratie” fund – an initiative of the Allianz Foundation and others – and the association “GrundGesetzVerstehen”, which teaches the values and contents of the German Basic Law, the German constitution, in schools. It is important for us to bring to life the value of democracy, tolerance, freedom and diversity – so that we can live together respectfully in diversity and freedom.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Ines Zenke
Rechtsanwältin/Lawyer, Partner
Phone +49 (0)30 611 28 40-179
ines.zenke@bbh-online.de

Visit Becker Büttner Held online at www.bbh-online.de, www.bbh-blog.de, or twitter.com/BBH_online.