24 March 2025
Time to read: 3 mins
Dr. Kathrin Meyer receives 2025 Anne Frank Special Recognition Award
Washington, D.C., March 25, 2025 – Dr. Kathrin Meyer, former Secretary General of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), was honored with the 2025 Anne Frank Special Recognition Award at a ceremony hosted by Ambassador Birgitta Tazelaar at the residence of the Dutch Ambassador in Washington, D.C. The award recognizes Dr. Meyer’s commitment to Holocaust remembrance, education, and research as well as her leadership in advancing international cooperation to protect historical facts.
In her acceptance speech, Dr. Meyer underscored the urgent need to confront Holocaust distortion, warning that “distortion is not just an opinion – it is a lie. Holocaust distortion is not just morally wrong and a disgrace to the victims and the survivors. It is dangerous. It is one of the strongest and most efficient tools of anti-democratic movements, paving the way for antisemitism and radicalization.”
Serving as IHRA’s Secretary General from 2008 – January 2025, Dr. Meyer played a pivotal role in guiding the organization’s work, fostering collaboration between governments and experts, and ensuring that the Holocaust remains central to global policymaking. During her tenure, Dr. Meyer successfully oversaw the adoption of the IHRA Working Definitions of Holocaust Denial and Distortion, Antisemitism and Anti-Roma Discrimination as well as the 2020 IHRA Ministerial Declaration.
IHRA Advisor and CEO and Finci-Viterbi Chair of the USC Shoah Foundation, Dr. Robert Williams, stated:
“The world owes Dr. Kathrin Meyer a debt of thanks because the field of Holocaust memory would not be what it is without her. She is an inspiration. Therefore, without a doubt, there is no one more deserving of the Anne Frank Special Recognition Award than Kathrin.”
IHRA Secretary General, Michaela Küchler, who took over the role from Dr Meyer in February 2025, said:
“I am deeply grateful to Kathrin Meyer for her achievements as Secretary General over the last 17 years. Her work has shaped the global fight against Holocaust distortion and antisemitism. Her commitment to protecting historical facts and coalition-building has strengthened international Holocaust remembrance efforts in ways that will resonate for generations.”
From right to left: Dr. Meyer with Dr. Irene Butter and Ambassador Birgitta Tazelaar
The Anne Frank Award for Human Dignity and Tolerance will be presented at the same ceremony to Dr. Irene Butter, a Holocaust survivor, educator, and peace activist. Dr. Butter, who as a child lived in the same Amsterdam neighborhood as Anne Frank, has dedicated her life to educating about the Holocaust and standing up against antisemitism and hate. She has worked as an author, lecturer, and co-founder of initiatives such as the Raoul Wallenberg Medal & Lecture series.
Congresswoman Hillary Scholten and Co-chair of the US Congressional Caucus on the Kingdom of the Netherlands gave opening remarks at the ceremony.
The Anne Frank Special Recognition Award and the Anne Frank Award for Human Dignity and Tolerance are presented as part of Dutch Tulip Days, a commemoration marking 80 years since the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945.
For more information, please contact Mara Antoce at mara.antoce@plmr.co.uk or +44 (0)785 284 4323
The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) unites governments and experts to strengthen, advance and promote Holocaust education, remembrance, and research worldwide and uphold the commitments of the 2000 Stockholm Declaration and the 2020 IHRA Ministerial Declaration.
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