Eight Holocaust survivors have appealed to young people in an open letter to use their vote in favour of democracy.
"For millions of you, the European elections are the first election in your lives; For many of us, it could be the last," read the letter published in the German capital Berlin on Tuesday.
"Give democracy a chance. Go and vote. Let's show together that 'Never again' is not just a phrase, but a promise. A promise that also applies today. And tomorrow. And forever."
The signatories include 102-year-old Georg Stefan Troller, along with other contemporary witnesses Leon Weintraub, Walter Frankenstein, Eva Szepesi, Ruth Winkelmann and Margit Korge. The letter was also signed by Renate Aris, 88, and Eva Umlauf, 81, who survived Nazi persecution as children.
The open letter is entitled "Never again is now."
Weintraub said: "Four out of five of my closest relatives, my siblings, my parents, my cousins, were murdered.
"That is the result, the consequence of the attitude 'We are better than others' - and the consequences of these radical thoughts, of looking down on others, of xenophobia.
"That unfortunately means that history could repeat itself - and it must not."
Frankenstein emphasized that he had the experience of 1932 and 1933: "And I know that there was a similar development back then as there is today: a weak democratic government and a party that rallied the people who were dissatisfied," explained the 99-year-old.
Today, this can be prevented, he said. "That's why young people today cannot just say 'Yes, I don't know who to vote for, so I'd rather not go at all.'That's the worst thing you can do. Our democracy must be defended again and again."
The open letter was published on Tuesday by the organization Avaaz and can be signed. The European elections take place across the EU from June 6 to 9.
