#WeRemember 2026 – Remembering together,
taking responsibility
In 2026, the Hans and Berthold Finkelstein Foundation and Bayer continued to support the #WeRemember campaign, which took place annually around International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January.
The campaign was launched in 2016 by the World Jewish Congress (WJC) in collaboration with UNESCO.
The campaign was started in 2016 by the World Jewish Congress (WJC) in cooperation with UNESCO. For ten years, people around the world have been taking part: they shared photos with the hashtag #WeRemember, went to events or took advantage of educational opportunities. The aim is to keep alive the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and to send a clear signal against anti-Semitism, racism and hatred. As a foundation, we contributed to this with various activities and events for Bayer employees and the public. In 2026, we were represented in Leverkusen, Weimar, Monheim, Dormagen, Wuppertal and Berlin.
Virtual Guided Tour: “Auschwitz – In Front of Your Eyes”
The Auschwitz Foundation and Memorial’s “Auschwitz – In Front of Your Eyes” programme was offered to employees at Bayer’s sites in Berlin, Leverkusen and Monheim in 2026. During the two-hour live virtual tours of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial site, participants were able to ask the guides questions. Afterwards, there was an opportunity to talk to Bayer employees who had previously visited the memorial site. They shared their own experiences and provided additional information about Auschwitz III Monowitz and the history of I.G. Farben at the site.
“You Have My Whole Heart” – Concert in Memory of Fritz Löhner-Beda
On Monday, 12 January, the Finkelstein Foundation and Bayer Kultur hosted a concert at the Komische Oper in Berlin’s Schillertheater. The evening was dedicated to Austrian writer and librettist Fritz Löhner-Beda. As a Jewish artist, he was persecuted, deported and ultimately murdered in the I.G. Farben camp in Auschwitz III Monowitz. Although he enjoyed great success during his lifetime, his name has largely been forgotten today. The event commemorated his musical legacy and told the story of a man whose songs enchanted the world, while he himself was denied his humanity.
Vocals: Katharine Mehrling
Piano: Ferdinand von Seebach
This was followed by a discussion with Annemarie Hühne-Ramm (Finkelstein Foundation), Sophie Jira (Komische Oper) and Christoph Böhmke (Bayer Culture).
Visit to the Museum of Forced Labour in Weimar
Bayer employees were invited to visit the Museum of Forced Labour under National Socialism at 4 p.m. on 5 February. The permanent exhibition, which opened in 2024, highlights the pan-European dimensions of Nazi forced labour. More than 60 case studies, presented in documentary and photographic form, depict the fate of millions of forced labourers. The history of I.G. Farben, which is closely linked to Bayer, was also addressed. Annemarie Hühne-Ramm, director of the Finkelstein Foundation, was on hand to answer questions about how Bayer has dealt with its Nazi past.
Exhibition on I.G. Farben in Dormagen and Wuppertal
The exhibition ‘I.G. Farben – economic security, collaboration with the Nazi regime, difficult memories – documents from the Bayer Archive’ was shown at the Bayer sites in Dormagen and Wuppertal. The exhibition was developed jointly by the Bayer Archive and the Finkelstein Foundation at the end of 2025. Using selected sources, it presented the development of I.G. Farben – from its founding on 2 December 1925 to its ties to the Nazi regime and involvement in the concentration camp structure, to its dissolution by the Allied Control Council in 1945 – as well as how this memory is dealt with today.
Dr Fabian Engel (Bayer Archives) offered guided tours for employees during the exhibition period.
Dormagen: 19–30 January 2026
Wuppertal-Elberfeld: 2–13 January 2026
‘Blinde Kuh mit dem Tod’ at the Erholungshaus Leverkusen
The guest performance by the ‘Junges Schauspiel des Düsseldorfer Schauspielhauses’ (Young Theatre of the Düsseldorf Theatre) was staged twice at the Erholungshaus Leverkusen: on 4 February (evening performance) and on 5 February (morning performance for schoolgirls). The play, suitable for ages 14 and up, recounted the memories of four Jewish children before and during the Second World War. After each performance, there was a discussion with experts and, in some cases, contemporary witnesses. The event lasted around two hours, including the discussion.
Photo campaign at CHEMPARK
Currenta also organised a photo campaign as a joint symbol of an active culture of remembrance at CHEMPARK. Employees could have their photo taken with the hashtag #WeRemember. The pictures were used to create a collage that was displayed at CHEMPARK during the weeks of remembrance.
