The International Committee Buchenwald-Dora and Commandos (IKBD) was founded in 1952 and preserves the memory of the International Camp Committee (ILK, 1943) from which it emerged. The ILK, initially led by German communists and later with the participation of resistance fighters of all nations, had set itself the task of improving the cruel lot of concentration camp prisoners - at the risk of its members' lives. The ILK organised resistance against the SS and played a central role in the liberation of Buchenwald concentration camp on 11 April 1945 through solidarity, sabotage at Nazi production sites and a long prepared armed action, liberation day itself.
903 children were among the survivors. Since its foundation, the IKBD has seen itself as a defender of the humanistic values that formed the basis for the prisoners' struggle against the deadly and inhuman machinery of the Nazis. It remains true to the oath of Buchenwald, which 21,000 survivors took on 19 April 1945 on the roll call square, pledging their commitment to building a world in peace and freedom.
