The consequences of the Holocaust in the past and in the future, according to Diner, give this “negative apotheosis of European history” the importance of a founding act. The emergence of the Holocaust as a central point of reference for a common European identity is, as Diner argues, not the product of any intention. Instead it evolved by “invisible hands” because it refers in a universal sense to the uncertainty of civilization. And Dan Diner continues: “The ethical imperatives of this founding act constitute a catalogue of values which are of normative importance for a political Europe.” In keeping with Diner’s argument the commemoration of the Holocaust - as an event which gives meaning - is not only a source of symbolic legitimacy but also of political action and values, such as the rejection of racism, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia.

Lothar Probst (German political scientist) “Founding Myths in Europe and the Role of the Holocaust”, 2003