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Head of HR Strategy and Innovation, talking about Auschwitz as a place of remembrance for Volkswagen. Thymian Bussemer is the strategy officer of HR Director Gunnar Kilian and head of refugee aid at the Volkswagen Group. In 2008, he co-founded the Auschwitz visitor programme for Volkswagen managers. “Keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive” – this has become part of the corporate culture at Volkswagen over the decades. Mr Bussemer, how did this special culture of remembrance evolve?Volkswagen has always been particularly sensitive when it comes to the past. That was and is due to the history of how the company was founded. Then, the provision of compensation for slave labourers, an example in Germany as a whole, and the commemorative projects in Auschwitz brought something good out of this guilt and established a special kind of culture of remembrance and democracy at Volkswagen. The International Youth Meeting Centre (IYMC) in Auschwitz (Oświęcim in Polish) has a wonderful history: The eleven states of former West Germany agreed to set up the IYMC in the mid-1980s. One of the states pulled out at the last minute and Volkswagen AG took their place. You could say it turned out to be a stroke of luck. Apprentices from every location have been meeting up there regularly ever since to help preserve the concentration camp memorials in Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau as places of remembrance. They experience the history of the Holocaust first-hand, exchange views and usually return home determined that: ‘Nothing like what happened in Auschwitz must ever happen again.’ In this respect, the date on which the IYMC was founded, 8 December 1986, is also a milestone in Volkswagen’s history. Several years ago, the exchange programme was expanded to include foremen- and forewomen-in-training as well as managers – why? Why not? It isn’t only up to the younger generation to campaign for democracy, pluralism and against racism.

The pandemic also affected another area: Our trainees have long been active politically, for example during the Antifa week, or in Auschwitz for our memorial culture with the meetings there, in interactions and working at the memorial site. But coronavirus meant that a lot of things we usually do weren’t possible. We all very much hope that more normality will be restored in this area as well soon, and that things will again be possible the way they once were. Görtz: Good hygiene concepts have meant that we have been able to avoid extended periods of lockdown during training so far. With the exception of two months, the new recruits have been able to spend at least some of their practical training period in the training centre and at the company. We’re very pleased about this. Our numbers show that the pandemic has not had any adverse effects on training success and thereby on career prospects. The examination results achieved are on a par with the high level achieved before coronavirus. However, the coronavirus pandemic did change our training: We adapted teaching concepts and the way of learning, and modified the general conditions. It was a great help to us that all of the technical apprentices already had access to a tablet before the start of the pandemic – which is important for mobile learning. The business trainees use a company laptop. Our instructors are in close contact with their trainees every working day – which enables us to support the group and each individual in good time and based on their needs. What are the next steps? Görtz: During the pandemic, we gained additional positive experience with digital and self-guided learning. We want to keep making use of these advantages. We are confident that knowledge transfer is becoming more agile and flexible, and offers more configuration options. And the role of the instructors is changing as well.