Auschwitz

2025 - 1 - 27

Auschwitz: Unpacking Eight Decades of Pain and Memory with a Splash of Royal Visits!

Holocaust -- Holocaust Memorial Day Accountability - Art as Remembrance - Auschwitz - History - Holocaust - King Charles III - Memory - Survivors - Holocaust Memorial Day

Join King Charles and brave survivors as they reflect on the haunting legacy of Auschwitz 80 years later!

Auschwitz, a name synonymous with horror and suffering, marks the 80th anniversary of its liberation from Nazi captivity, a date steeped in significance and mourning. In the shadow of the Death Wall, elderly survivors, many wearing striped scarves reminiscent of their imprisoning past, attended solemn observances to commemorate the atrocities endured within these infamous gates. The memories cling to them like an iron shackle, underscored by an urgent question: How do we make sense of the perpetrators' motivations and actions that led to such immense suffering?

As world leaders and survivors gather at the site of this haunting history, discussions are not limited to remembrance but extend to the ongoing struggle against forgetting. King Charles’s participation in the commemoration is particularly poignant, as he will be the first British monarch to walk these grounds, embodying a blend of royal dignity and deep empathy. His visit alongside other dignitaries highlights the commitment to honour the past while urging society to reflect on the valuable lessons it still bears today.

Yet, amidst the reflections, some voices like that of Tova Friedman, an 86-year-old survivor, rise above the solemnity with an impassioned plea: “Is this horrific time slipping from our memory?” As time stretches further from that dark period, the responsibility of commemorating Holocaust victims remains crucial, entwined with a sense of urgency against the tide of disbelief and ignorance that still exists today. The survivor's perspective serves as both a haunting reminder and a rallying call to ensure that such atrocities are neither forgotten nor repeated.

Interestingly, Auschwitz initially housed Polish prisoners of war before becoming a labour camp that furthered Nazi terror. In a stark contrast to the day's events, artist Shelomo Selinger, who survived nine concentration camps, marked the anniversary by donating poignant artworks that evoke themes of freedom and remembrance. These stories and symbols remind us not only of the compassion needed in the wake of such tragedies but also of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming darkness.

As we reflect on the 80 years since the liberation, remember that every story shared is a stitch in the fabric of history that we must continue to weave together. Let’s take this opportunity to learn more, share knowledge, and ensure that the stories of Auschwitz and its survivors inspire generations to come.

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

The difficult question about Auschwitz that remains unanswered (BBC News)

Post-war Europe looked at the horror and acknowledged the suffering. But another question about the perpetrators still needs making sense of.

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Image courtesy of "NPR"

Auschwitz holds observances on the 80th anniversary of the death ... (NPR)

Elderly camp survivors, some wearing striped scarves that recall their prison uniforms, walked to the the Death Wall, where prisoners were executed.

We have still not been fully liberated from Auschwitz (Jewish Chronicle)

The lesson of the past 15 months is that the greatest calamity to have befallen a people – to have befallen the Jews – remains unknown or disbelieved, ...

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Image courtesy of "ITV News"

King to visit Auschwitz for 80th anniversary of camp's liberation on ... (ITV News)

The monarch will join other heads of state at the camp, a short drive from Krakow, to remember all those who met their deaths here. | ITV National News.

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Image courtesy of "NBC News"

Auschwitz survivors marking 80 years since Nazi death camp's ... (NBC News)

Inside the Auschwitz, Soviet soldiers liberated roughly 7000 prisoners who had been brutalized by a Nazi regime hell-bent on exterminating the Jewish ...

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Image courtesy of "USA TODAY"

80 years after Auschwitz liberation, a survivor's powerful plea: 'We ... (USA TODAY)

Tova Friedman, 86, is one of a dwindling number of Holocaust survivors. Is this horrific time slipping from our memory?

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Image courtesy of "Notes From Poland"

The woman who has lived her whole life in Auschwitz (Notes From Poland)

She has lived her entire life within the grounds of Auschwitz, the former German-Nazi concentration camp, surrounded by its dark history, in a former SS ...

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Image courtesy of "The Independent"

Auschwitz memorial holds observances on the 80th anniversary of ... (The Independent)

The 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops is being observed at the site of the former death camp.

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Image courtesy of "www.ekathimerini.com"

Foreign Ministry marks 80th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation and ... (www.ekathimerini.com)

Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp by the Soviet army ...

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

Holocaust Memorial Day: King to visit Auschwitz concentration camp (BBC News)

He will be the first British monarch to visit the former camp when he joins survivors for a service.

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Image courtesy of "US Embassy and Consulate in Poland"

President Trump Announces Presidential Delegation to attend the ... (US Embassy and Consulate in Poland)

The Honorable Steve Witkoff, United States Special Envoy to the Middle East and Howard Lutnick, nominee for Secretary of Commerce, will lead the delegation.

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Image courtesy of "Vatican News"

Auschwitz anniversary: Call to memory and hope (Vatican News)

In the Polish village of Harmeze, prayer intertwines with the memory of those who suffered and perished in the German Nazi concentration and ...

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Image courtesy of "The Independent"

Holocaust memorial day – latest: King Charles's 'deeply personal ... (The Independent)

Charles will travel to Poland to commemorate milestone with foreign monarchs, presidents, prime ministers and Holocaust survivors, becoming first British ...

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

'Nothing will be easy about returning:' Survivors mark 80th ... (CNN)

The entrance gate to the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz pictured on January 10. Kacper Pempel/Reuters. CNN —.

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Image courtesy of "Balkan Insight"

Auschwitz Liberation Anniversary: A Survivor's Story (Balkan Insight)

At 93, Agnes Darvas still has an excellent memory. Sometimes she wishes she didn't. “I can never forget, nor forgive the atrocities we suffered,” she tells ...

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

The difficult question about Auschwitz that remains unanswered (BBC News)

At first, Auschwitz was used by the Germans to house Polish prisoners of war. After Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union, it became a labour camp, where many ...

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Image courtesy of "Art Newspaper"

Artist marks 80th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation by donating ... (Art Newspaper)

Shelomo Selinger, who endured nine concentration camps, has donated the works 'Desire for freedom' and 'Shoah (Holocaust)'

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Image courtesy of "GOV.UK"

Foreign Secretary marks 80th anniversary of Auschwitz-Birkenau ... (GOV.UK)

Foreign Secretary David Lammy will co-host the FCDO's annual Holocaust Memorial Day reception with the Israeli Embassy today.

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Image courtesy of "The Church of Scotland"

Holocaust Memorial Day - 80th anniversary of the liberation of ... (The Church of Scotland)

The Auschwitz camps were the largest concentration and extermination centres in the Third Reich and liberated on 27 January, 1945. A day of international ...

Tánaiste marks the 80th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz ... (Gov.ie)

As the world marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is a stark reminder of the horrors of evil and Ireland is committed to countering all forms ...

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Image courtesy of "Tribune"

Jeremy Corbyn: Remembering Auschwitz, Fighting Today (Tribune)

As we mark the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we must remember the heroic resistance of many inmates to inspire our struggle against renewed ...

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Image courtesy of "Sky News"

King delivers speech to Holocaust survivors on 80th anniversary of ... (Sky News)

The King is set to become the first British monarch to visit Auschwitz, the concentration camp where more than a million people, mainly Jews, were murdered ...

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Image courtesy of "Tendring District Council"

Clacton and Harwich mark 80th anniversary of liberation of ... (Tendring District Council)

Tendring District Council (TDC) hosted a Holocaust memorial service at the Sunken Rose Garden in Clacton.

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

Auschwitz-Birkenau: Holocaust survivors recall horrors of Auschwitz ... (BBC News)

On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, survivor Tova Friedman told an event in Poland she thought she was the "only Jewish child in the ...

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Image courtesy of "NPR"

Auschwitz survivors mark Holocaust Remembrance Day 80 years ... (NPR)

Monday's ceremony in Poland is regarded as the likely last major observance of Auschwitz's liberation that any notable number of survivors will be able to ...

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Image courtesy of "Council of Europe"

Moving ceremony at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp (Council of Europe)

Deputy Secretary General, Bjørn Berge attended the commemoration ceremony in Poland of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the former German Nazi ...

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Image courtesy of "Museums Association"

Auschwitz must inform our moral choices - Museums Association (Museums Association)

In this way, we want to emphatically highlight that the 1.3 million people deported to the German Nazi camp Auschwitz is not an abstract statistic but the ...

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Image courtesy of "Council of Europe"

80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp (Council of Europe)

Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister for Equality between Women and Men and the Fight against Discrimination, Ms Bergé,. Mayor of Strasbourg, Ms Barseghian ...

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

Survivors of Auschwitz deliver warning from history as memories die ... (BBC News)

World leaders rubbed shoulders with 56 survivors of Hitler's death camp as they marked 80 years since its liberation.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

'Memory hurts, memory guides': Auschwitz survivors mark ... (The Guardian)

Beneath a white marquee erected in front of the gate to the former Nazi death camp, four former inmates – the youngest 86, the oldest 99 – warned world leaders ...

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

'It was an escape into excellence': How music saved the life of a ... (BBC News)

After being sent to the Nazi death camp in 1943, Anita Lasker survived by playing in its women's orchestra. In 1996, she spoke to the BBC about her ordeal.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

The Last Musician of Auschwitz review – an exceptionally moving ... (The Guardian)

Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, now 99, escaped death in the concentration camp because she played the cello. As this intelligent, chilling and devastating ...

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Image courtesy of "Whitehouse.gov"

The National Day of Remembrance of the 80th Anniversary of the ... (Whitehouse.gov)

Today marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi concentration camp in Poland that stood at the center of the Holocaust.

The woman with two hearts who survived Auschwitz (Jewish Chronicle)

When Fania Fainer was in the camp, a friend made her a birthday gift that she managed to preserve.

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Image courtesy of "The Times of Israel"

The Blogs: My unique journey to Auschwitz (The Times of Israel)

And what can you say after watching tons of hair and shoes of Jewish prisoners, and huge pages filled with small, dense writing of millions of names of Jews who ...

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