International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Auschwitz

International Holocaust Remembrance Day, observed on January 27, honours the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005, the date marks the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp by Soviet forces in 1945.

The day is dedicated to remembering the victims, educating future generations about the dangers of hatred and discrimination, and reaffirming the commitment to prevent genocide in all its forms, in every country.

What is Auschwitz?

Auschwitz, in German Konzentrationslager Auschwitz, was the largest Nazi concentration camp during World War II, between 1940 and 1944, where over 1.1 million prisoners, mostly Jews, were killed. Those who did not end up in the crematoriums were sent to forced labour within the concentration camp, where they would die of starvation and exhaustion. All those categories of people considered inferior for political or racial reasons also died in Auschwitz.
In the Auschwitz concentration camp, the so-called 'Final Solution', the expression used by the Nazis to refer to the total extermination of the Jewish population, was to be enforced.

Where was Auschwitz?

The Auschwitz concentration camp was built in Poland, specifically on the outskirts of Oświęcim, located about 60 kilometres from Kraków. Auschwitz is the German name given by the Nazis to the Polish town during the occupation.

When was Auschwitz finally closed?

The inhuman operation of the Auschwitz concentration camp ended on January 27, 1945, when the Soviet Union's Red Army tanks broke through the Auschwitz gates and found approximately 7,000 prisoners still alive.

How do you pronounce Auschwitz?

Auschwitz, the German word for the biggest shame committed by human beings, is pronounced ah-OOSH-veets.