The 27th of January 2025 marked the 80th year of the liberation of Auschwitz. The day is now recognised globally as holocaust Memorial Day. The day is used to directly commemorate the lives of millions of Jewish people as well as thousands of LGBTQ, Roma and political opposition’s lives taken by the nazi regime from 1939- 1945. Furthermore, it is used to highlight the antisemitism and discrimination that led to the genocide.
The camp has been hosting memorial events since it was opened to the public, with the first being in 1947 when survivors returned to the camp. After the Auschwitz Birkenau foundation was set up to preserve the site in 2009, the ceremonies in the camp have become a beacon of remembrance for the international community.
In 2011 during the anniversary ceremony, former prisoner of the camp and the founder of the Auschwitz Birkenau foundation Profesor Władysław Bartoszewsk made an appeal to the international community. He stated and somewhat defended the growing emphasis on preserving the camp and other physical artifacts of the holocaust. He shared his concerns that as the survivors of the holocaust and Auschwitz specifically begin to die, so will the authentic account of the horrors they endured. He states that he expresses these concerns, “in view of what happened, what is happening now, and what could happen again.”
This sentiment remains, historians continuously emphasise the importance of learning about and understanding the past to prevent these horrors from repeating themselves. This message has been particularly poignant this year due in part to the current humanitarian crisis and bombardment in Gaza and the further conflicts happening around the world. The Holocaust Memorial Day trust in the UK released a statement ahead of this year’s ceremony, they stated “We also commemorate the millions more people murdered through the Nazi persecution of other groups and in the more recent genocides recognised by the UK government”
Moreover the message of being aware of antisemitism and its ramifications on society was vital this year, with the anniversary falling only a week after President Trump’s inauguration. President Trump has a vast history with accusations of Antisemitism, some more direct than others. The now 47Th president has several ties with the right wing group “the proud boys” who have been accused of antisemitism by many publications including the ADL and the Jerusalem post. With the founder of the group Gavin McInnes having denied some elements of the holocaust, such as the use of gas chambers and the number of victims. Trump has defended the founder and the group despite these claims. More recently before winning the 2024 election during one of his campaigns he stated that if he were to lose the election “the Jewish people would have a lot to do with a loss.” This only plays into the long-harboured stereotype of Jewish interference in politics.
This year the memory of the holocaust and the nazis ability to industrialise the killing of millions of people based on a feature of humanity serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of humanity and the extent of evil that can be committed by those in power.
