January 27 marks Holocaust Memorial Day, a powerful reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust and the lives lost.
In 2005, the UN declared January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The day honors the victims of the Holocaust, where six million Jews and countless others, including Roma, disabled people, and political prisoners, were brutally murdered.
Why January 27? On this day in 1945, Soviet forces liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the infamous Nazi death camp. Over 1.1 million people were killed there, most of them Jews.
UN leaders and survivors continue to stress the importance of remembering this dark chapter in history to prevent future atrocities. The world must stay alert to the dangers of hatred, racism, and intolerance.
In Israel, Holocaust remembrance is marked by Yom HaShoah, with ceremonies in April. In Germany, January 27 is observed as a national day of reflection, with survivors sharing their stories in the Bundestag.
