Professional Conference “Hospice. Europe. Future” in Berlin

On the 13^th October, the “Deutsche Hospiz- und Palliativverband” (“German Association of Hospices and Palliative Care”) organized an international professional conference on the subject “Hospice. Europe. Future” in the Berlin Academy of Arts not far from the Brandenburg Gate. About 140 participants listened with eager expectation to the comments of the speakers from England, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands and Germany. The subject area comprised complex issues and possible perspectives of hospice and palliative work and showed at the same time the meaning of history both as a burden and a chance. Dr. Helena Wisła and Krzysztof Wisła from the Memorial Hospice of the city of Oświęcim (Auschwitz) presented a special project called “Memorial Hospice Oświęcim”. It was initiated by the former Auschwitz prisoner August Kowalczyk who had succeeded to escape from the extermination camp with the help of inhabitants of the city of Auschwitz. His initiative of founding a hospice is a moving expression of thanks to them.

At the end of the conference, all participants agreed that the further establishment of an European network is a central task. They emphasized particularly the development of aspects of voluntary hospice and palliative engagement.