To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp’s liberation on January 27, 1945, some 50 survivors will revisit the location on Monday. World leaders like King Charles, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will join these survivors, who are currently in their late 80s and 90s.
But the voices that will be heard will be those of the survivors, not the dignitaries. Their message is a serious call to action for everyone: remember what occurred here and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“Every soul on this earth has the right to live,” says Jona Laks, 94, who came to Auschwitz in 1944 with her older sibling and twin sister. In her moving words, she calls the camp “a laboratory for killing people,” where very few individuals made it out alive.
What Is the Significance of the Auschwitz Liberation and Survivors' Visit?
Despite recent above-freezing temperatures in Poland, many survivors remain too weak to withstand the cold. To accommodate those attending, a vast, heated tent has been set up over the notorious “Death Gate,” which is the entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Polish President Andrzej Duda and survivors will lead a wreath-laying ceremony at the original Auschwitz camp’s “Death Wall” to start the day. At this location, thousands of Soviet soldiers, Jews, and Polish POWs were put to death. As evidence of the camp’s lasting legacy, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer laid a wreath there.
Later, the remembrance will turn to Auschwitz II, often known as Birkenau, the industrial-scale death camp where the most horrifying crimes were carried out. This is yet another sombre anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a time of commemoration that is still very important to the entire globe.
How Can the Auschwitz Liberation Teach Us to Prevent Future Atrocities?
Historian Susanne Willems has worked to honour and learn from the survivors for years. “Many were like favourite grandfathers to me,” she continues. “We’ve lost so many of them; now it’s my duty to carry on their stories and become their witness.”
This remembrance will not include political remarks, in contrast to previous ones. Because of the continuing conflict in Ukraine, the lack of Russian representation is particularly noticeable. Even though the Russian-led 60th Army of the First Ukrainian Front freed the camp, Vladimir Putin of Russia, who was present for the 60th anniversary, is no longer welcome.
What Was the Role of Auschwitz in the Holocaust and the Auschwitz Liberation?
With the construction of six extermination camps in occupied Poland—Chelmno, Belzec, Sobibor, Treblinka, Majdanek, and Auschwitz-Birkenau—the Nazis’ plan to eradicate the Jewish population of Europe got underway in earnest in early 1942.
The largest was Auschwitz-Birkenau, which had four gas chambers and crematoria by the end of 1942. Jews from all over Europe, including Slovakia, France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, started to arrive in transports. Before the majority were executed, they came to the camp and went beneath the infamous sign Arbeit macht frei (Work sets you free).
Up to 12,000 Jews were gassed and burned every day at its height. The camp was expanded into a facility intended for mass murder under the direction of Heinrich Himmler and Rudolf Höss, two of the principal architects of the Holocaust. A crucial aspect of history, the Auschwitz Liberation serves as a reminder of the cruelty millions endured.
How Did Jona Laks Survive Auschwitz?
After losing her parents at Chelmno, survivor Jona Laks travelled to Auschwitz in 1944 with her older sister Chana and twin sister Miriam. She remembers the terrifying randomness of life and death when she first arrived.
“My twin was taken to the right, whereas I was told to walk to the left, which meant the incinerator. She writes, “That was only because the man was so bored that he would say, ‘Left, right, left, right,’ without even looking at the people.” “I didn’t know that left meant death, but I did know it wasn’t good.”
Laks survived because of her older sister’s insistence that they not be split up. Josef Mengele, the notorious “Angel of Death,” who experimented on twins at the camp, became aware of them as a result.
Who Were the Other Victims of Auschwitz?
Between 1941 and 1945, around a million Jews were killed at Auschwitz-Birkenau. In addition, 70,000 Polish captives, 21,000 Roma, 15,000 Soviet prisoners of war, and an unknown number of gay men were among the victims.
One survivor described the deaths of their family members: an aunt, uncle, and their two kids, ages nine and fourteen, who were killed upon arrival in Auschwitz, and a grandfather who lived for barely a month and a day.
The remains of Auschwitz-Birkenau serve as a reminder of the scope of the Holocaust. 1.83 million people visited the site last year; many strolled through the abandoned Birkenau and the maintained museum.
What Can We Learn from Auschwitz Today?
The remembrances underline how relevant Auschwitz’s history is today. Susanne Willems, a historian, has spent a lot of time educating people about the emergence of authoritarianism, frequently visiting Auschwitz with Berlin police personnel.
“I try to help people understand the limits of obedience in a hierarchy,” she explains. “They are free to choose whether or not to comply with any requests made of them. They have both the obligation and the right to reject anything that infringes on human rights.
Why Is Holocaust Education Crucial for the Future?
Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom has promised to turn Holocaust education into “a truly national endeavour.” He underlined the significance of exposing all kids to survivor accounts and teaching them about the Holocaust.
“By learning from survivors, we can develop empathy for others and appreciation of our common humanity,” Starmer stated. “That is the ultimate way to defeat hatred and intolerance.”
What Struggles Does Liliana Segre Continue to Face?
The 94-year-old Liliana Segre, Italy’s most well-known Auschwitz survivor, is not present at the Polish observance. Instead, she takes part in activities in Rome. Segre, a senator for life, has been subjected to constant antisemitic harassment, which has gotten worse since a documentary about her life was released.
As a teenager, she survived the Nazi death march to Malchow, despite the murder of her father and grandmother at Birkenau. Segre’s tenacity is cited by Roberto Jarach, the director of Milan’s Holocaust memorial: “She frequently tells me, ‘I’m tired of the insults,’ but she persists in sharing her story.”
How Does Visiting Auschwitz Affect People Today?
Many tourists find Auschwitz-Birkenau to be an overwhelming experience. A young woman from Lancashire muses, “It makes you feel anxious being here,” “Obviously, you learn about it, but it’s crazy when you see it in real life.”
The site’s devastation serves as a terrifying reminder of how cruel people can be, as well as how vital it is to remember, educate, and combat hatred.
