Recommendations have been made by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) that Lager Sylt should be designated as a protected site.
The placement of the bales has caused a stir online, with several notable members of the Alderney community and further afield voicing their take.
States member, Alex Snowdon, said it was concerning to see:
Concerning to see large number of hay bales placed onto Lager Sylt, Alderney. Many bales appearing broken and dumped on historical site near Memorial plaque at gate entrance.
Protected area by @States_Alderney – registered on official list of sites of historical interest.⬇️ pic.twitter.com/yLHwTn0u3Z
— Alex Snowdon (@AlexSnowdon5) June 11, 2023
Andrew Eggleston, the President of the Alderney Chamber of Commerce, agreed, suggesting on Twitter that “as part owner of Sylt, it should not be used like this”.
Dr Gilly Carr is the Channel Islands’ International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance representative.
She said on Twitter: “If the boundaries of the camp were marked in the landscape, there would be visual prompts to encourage landowners to think about respectful use of the site.”
Her comment was then shared by the Rt Hon Lord Eric Pickles, who works closely with the UK on post-holocaust issues.
Another States member, Steve Roberts, has since suggested online that the situation is in hand: “All sorted after [a] misunderstanding.The offending and obsolete hay bales are to be burned as the result of a meeting this morning. I would have been happier if I, as Agriculture representative, had been contacted earlier. I was unaware of this problem.”