Melbourne
The Gillard Government will make a $500,000 contribution to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation to assist with the preservation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site in Poland.
The Auschwitz concentration camp is an important place of reflection and memory.
It continues to serve as a solemn reminder of the terrible crimes perpetrated against millions of people during the Second World War.
Speaking at the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Melbourne, the Prime Minister said the ongoing preservation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site was an important way for future generations to remember the horrific events of the Holocaust.
The Gillard Government is committed to supporting efforts that encourage education and understanding to ensure such atrocities are never repeated again.
Many Holocaust survivors, including from Germany, Austria, Poland and the then Czechoslovakia, found refuge in Australia and made it their home following the Second World War.
The resilience and courage of these survivors has contributed to Australia's vibrant multicultural society.
The Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation was established in 2009 by former Polish minister Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, a former prisoner of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, to secure the preservation and conservation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Site.