ABN AMRO commemorates fallen colleagues of World War II
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During the Second World War, more than three hundred employees of ABN AMRO’s predecessors lost their lives as a result of acts of war, the persecution of Jews, forced labour or resistance activities. The bank has commemorated them every year since 1947, and does so again today.
In the presence of more than hundred colleagues, CEO Marguerite Bérard honoured the fallen employees in a short speech and underlined the importance of remembrance: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. We must learn from our past to understand our present and build our future. Today, we honour our colleagues who sacrificed their lives for liberty, so that we could live in peace, be safe, speak freely and choose our religion. Thanks to them, we stand united. Dutch, German, Italian and French colleagues, to name some nationalities represented in our bank, work together, side by side.”
The speech was followed by the laying of a wreath by Marguerite Bérard and Tom de Swaan, Chair of the Supervisory Board. Employees attending the ceremony also placed flowers by the wreath – one for every colleague who died. The gathering ended with a minute’s silence.