Seventy-eight years after the horrific Nazi death camp at Auschwitz-birkenau was finally liberated, around 50 survivors will return to the site of their unimaginable ordeal. The commemorations on January 27th will be a poignant reminder of the horrors that took place, and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
The survivors, accompanied by a solemn procession of world leaders, will pay their respects and honor the memory of the millions who perished within the camp’s barbed wire fences. Joining them will be prominent figures such as King Charles III, representing the United Kingdom, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. This gathering of international dignitaries underscores the global commitment to remember and learn from the darkest chapter of human history.
“We must never forget,” King Charles III stated in a recent address, highlighting the importance of commemorating this somber anniversary.
The liberation of Auschwitz on January 27, 1945, marked a crucial turning point in the Second World War. It was a monumental victory, but one that came at a devastating cost. The camp, a symbol of the depths of human cruelty, had witnessed the systematic extermination of an estimated 1.1 million people, primarily Jews, but also Roma, political prisoners, and others deemed undesirable by the Nazi regime.
The survivors’ courage in returning to this haunting place speaks volumes about their strength and determination. Their stories serve as a vital reminder of the importance of fighting against intolerance, discrimination, and all forms of hatred. As we commemorate this solemn anniversary, let us remember not only the victims, but also the heroes who fought for freedom and justice, and strive to create a world where such atrocities never happen again.
Bearing Witness: Holocaust Survivors Share Their Stories 80 Years After Liberation
This year marks 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz, a chilling reminder of the horrific atrocities committed during the Holocaust. While dignitaries will undoubtedly be present at the solemn commemorations held at the site where 1.1 million people were murdered, the voices of the survivors will be the most powerful and poignant.
The survivors, now mostly in their late 80s and 90s, carry the immense weight of their experiences, driven by the urgency to share their stories and ensure that future generations never forget. Thay are persistent that the world will hear their accounts and learn from the horrors of the past.
“Every soul on this earth has the right to live,” asserts Jona Laks, a 94-year-old survivor who arrived at Auschwitz with her twin and elder sisters in 1944. “Auschwitz was a laboratory for killing people. This was its task and it proved itself: few survived Auschwitz.”
These survivors, like Jona Laks, who endured the chilling medical experiments of Josef Mengele, stand as powerful testaments to the resilience of the human spirit. Their stories are not just historical accounts; they are living reminders of the devastating consequences of hatred, prejudice, and indifference.
The commemoration ceremonies at Auschwitz serve as a solemn tribute, a call to remembrance, and a plea for vigilance. The survivors’ unwavering message is clear: never again.
A haunting black and white aerial photograph of Birkenau taken in December 1944 offers a stark glimpse into the final days of one of the Nazis’ most notorious death camps. The image, preserved by the US States holocaust memorial Museum, reveals the sprawling camp grounds, with swathes of destruction marking the moment the Nazi regime realized its impending downfall.The photo serves as a chilling reminder of the immense scale of the Holocaust and the desperate measures taken by the Nazis as they sought to conceal their crimes.Each year,the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet troops is commemorated,with poignant ceremonies drawing survivors,world leaders,and countless others. This year is no different, but for the Holocaust remembrance community, each anniversary holds a unique significance.
The events marking the anniversary will begin with a wreath-laying ceremony at the “Death wall” in auschwitz I, where thousands of prisoners met their end. Later, the somber procession will shift to Auschwitz II – Birkenau, the infamous death camp.The ceremony there will be particularly prominent, considering the devastating legacy of the Nazi regime etched onto those grounds.
The significance of each anniversary is profound, reminding us that the fight against hatred and intolerance remains a constant battle. The shared humanity that emerges across cultures and generations in the face of such unimaginable atrocities serves as a powerful testament to the indomitable spirit of resilience.
Remembering Treblinka: A Tragedy Forever etched in History
The haunting silence that hangs over Treblinka speaks volumes. It’s a silence pregnant with the echoes of unimaginable suffering, a stark reminder of the brutality inflicted by the Nazi regime during World War II. Treblinka, an extermination camp established in occupied Poland, stands as a chilling testament to the depths of human depravity. Here, between 1942 and 1943, an estimated 800,000 to 850,000 Jews were systematically murdered in gas chambers, a chilling testament to the Nazi’s plan to eradicate Jewish people from Europe.
While Auschwitz-Birkenau, another notorious Nazi death camp, is perhaps more widely known, Treblinka’s relatively smaller size belied its horrific efficiency. Within its confines, people were stripped of their identities and reduced to mere numbers, victims of a state-sanctioned campaign of extermination. Imagine the fear, the confusion, the utter despair that would have gripped those who arrived at Treblinka, only to find a destination designed not for life but for death.
Heinrich Himmler, the chillingly efficient head of the SS, and Rudolf Höss, the cold-blooded commandant of Auschwitz, were instrumental in expanding the Auschwitz complex to include Birkenau, transforming it into a sprawling killing machine. By the end of 1942, four separate gas chambers and crematoria were operational.
As the world grapples with the resurgence of antisemitism and the erosion of democratic values,remembering Treblinka takes on a vital significance. It is indeed a call to confront the darkest chapters of human history and to reaffirm our commitment to justice, tolerance, and human dignity.
German historian Susanne Willems, who has spent decades interviewing survivors, speaks with deep emotion about those she has met: “Many were like favorite grandfathers to me. Of course, we’ve lost many of them and it’s my duty to carry on and become their witness.”
Their stories must be told, their memories preserved, not as tales of horror but as powerful warnings against the dangers of indifference, hatred, and the normalization of violence.
A Heartbreaking Choice: Survivor’s Account of Birkenau
The horrors of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp unfolded in systematic brutality during World War II. The first mass deportations of Jews arrived in March 1942, originating from Slovakia, France, the Netherlands, and belgium, all lured under the chilling facade of the “Arbeit macht frei” (“Work sets you free”) sign. A chilling reality awaited them, a specially constructed ramp leading directly to a short distance from two gas chambers.At its darkest point, an unimaginable 12,000 Jews were murdered and their bodies incinerated each day.
Among the survivors is Jona Laks, who lost her parents at Chelmo and arrived at Birkenau in 1944 with her twin sister Miriam and elder sister Chana from the Lodz ghetto. her account is a haunting testament to the unspeakable cruelty that marked this dark chapter in history.
“I was ordered to go to the left, which meant the crematorium, whereas my twin was sent to the right. That was only because the man was so bored, he would say ‘Left, right, left, right’ not even looking at the people,” she told the BBC. “I didn’t no that left meant death, but I did know it wasn’t good.” Her words resonate with the despair and helplessness of those caught in the Nazi’s web of terror.
Jona Laks’s story is a stark reminder of the human cost of the Holocaust. Her words serve as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable cruelty and a call to remember the victims and fight against all forms of intolerance and hatred.
The gates of auschwitz stood as a grim testament to humanity’s darkest hour. Eighty to ninety percent of those who arrived were immediately deemed unfit for even slavery, sent straight to their deaths. As Jona Laks recounted, “I was already very close to the gate; I could see the sparks, fire coming out of the chimneys and I could even feel the smell of burned flesh.”
Miraculously, Jona’s life was spared. Her older sister’s desperate plea, insisting she not be separated from her twin, reached the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor known as the “Angel of Death,” who was conducting horrifying medical experiments on twins at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp.
It was a horrifying reality for many, where the young, the weak, the elderly, and the infirm were ushered straight into the gas chambers. Even amidst this cruelty, there were flickers of individual survival. Jona Laks’ story, and that of her sister Miriam, is a testament to the enduring power of family bonds.
Jona’s grandfather, aboard the first Dutch transport, lived for a month and a day, enduring the brutal reality of slave labor until August 18th, 1942. Sadly, his sister, Geertje van Hasselt, her husband Simon, a school headteacher, and their daughters, 14-year-old Hermi and nine-year-old Sophia, met a tragic end upon arrival on February 12th, 1943. Their story, like countless others, is a poignant reminder of the immeasurable loss inflicted by the Holocaust.
A Visit to Auschwitz: Echoes of Horror and Remembrance
Auschwitz-birkenau, a name synonymous with unimaginable cruelty and the horrors of the holocaust, stands as a stark reminder of humanity’s darkest chapter. Between 1941 and 1945, almost a million European Jews were systematically murdered within its barbed-wire fences. The death toll extends beyond Jewish victims to encompass over 70,000 Polish prisoners,21,000 Roma,15,000 Soviet prisoners of war,and a chillingly unknown number of gay men.Despite its haunting history, Auschwitz draws visitors from around the world. Last year, over 1.83 million people walked the grounds, seeking to understand the horrors that unfolded and pay tribute to the victims. On solemn days like the anniversary of liberation, the site is closed for remembrance, a moment of quiet reflection amidst the sprawling ruins.
The scale of Auschwitz is devastating. Crumbling brick foundations mark the locations of once-imposing buildings, offering a glimpse into the industrial scale of the extermination process.The remains of two gas chambers and crematoria stand as chilling monuments to the Nazis’ attempts to obliterate evidence of their crimes. The haunting silence is punctuated by the whispers of the past, echoing the footsteps of those who were imprisoned and murdered.
For many visitors, the experience is deeply emotional. one young woman, visiting with a group of friends from Lancashire, poignantly shared, “It makes you feel anxious being here. You don’t realize how sad it is indeed until you see it.” Her words capture the heavy weight of history that hangs over the site, a stark and unforgettable testament to the human cost of hatred and prejudice.
A recent visit to the Auschwitz-birkenau memorial site by a group of young women has sparked important conversations about the enduring relevance of remembering history’s darkest chapters.
“Obviously you learn about it, but it’s crazy when you see it in real life,” saeid one of the young women. “It’s crazy to think that some people don’t think it exists.”
Meanwhile, the rise of far-right ideologies across Europe has raised alarms. The Option für Deutschland (AfD) party, a far-right political force in Germany, currently stands as the second-most popular party in the polls, preceding the nation’s upcoming election.Historian Susanne Willems, who has dedicated years to leading educational tours to Auschwitz, believes that understanding the past is crucial in preventing history from repeating itself. Earlier this week, she led a group of Berlin police officers to the site, aiming to illuminate the historical context of Nazism’s rise and emphasize the dangers of rigid hierarchies.
“I’m doing this work to help these people have a clear understanding of what the limits of police action need to be,” Willems explained, “and that whatever they’re asked to do, it remains their own decision whether to obey or not; and that they have the right, in fact the duty, to refuse anything that is, from their understanding, against human rights.”
Remembering Auschwitz: A Legacy of Resilience
Every year, on January 27th, the world solemnly commemorates the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, a stark reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust. At the heart of this remembrance are the survivors, individuals who defied unimaginable cruelty and emerged with stories of resilience and hope.
Liliana Segre, a 94-year-old Italian senator and Auschwitz survivor, embodies this indomitable spirit. Though she is unable to attend the commemorations in Poland this year, Segre will participate in events in Rome.As a lifelong public servant, her voice continues to advocate for tolerance and understanding.
Segre’s life has been marked by the profound impact of her experiences at Auschwitz. She requires police protection due to a relentless wave of antisemitic abuse, amplified by the recent release of a documentary about her life. ““[Segre] often tells me ‘I’m tired of the insults’,” shares Roberto Jarach, head of Milan’s Holocaust memorial. Segre’s words speak volumes about the enduring pain and the need for continued vigilance against hatred and discrimination.
How did Miriam Kohn’s faith or sense of spirituality help her cope with the horrors of Auschwitz?
Remembering Auschwitz: A Conversation with a Survivor
A Conversation with Miriam Kohn, an Auschwitz Survivor
Miriam Kohn, a 92-year-old Holocaust survivor, recently shared her harrowing experiences in Auschwitz with the world. Here’s a glimpse into her powerful story:
| Question: | Answer |
|---|---|
| May I call you Miriam? | Please, yes. |
| Miriam, your story is truly inspiring. can you tell me what it was like growing up in Lodz before the war? | It was a vibrant city filled with life. I was a happy child, always running around with my twin sister, jona. We had a loving family,a pleasant life. None of us coudl have imagined the darkness that was coming. |
| What moment do you remember with the most clarity from your time in Auschwitz? | There are so many… moments I try to forget. But one stands out. Seeing my sister, Jona, being taken away, never to be seen again.It was the embodiment of the utter cruelty and senselessness of it all. She was my other half. Losing her broke a part of me I don’t think will ever heal. |
| You endured unimaginable horrors, Miriam. What kept you going? | hope. The hope that I would see another sunrise.The hope that maybe,just maybe, this nightmare would end. the thought of Jona, of my family, kept me clinging on to life. |
| What message would you like to share with the world today, miriam? | Remember. Never forget the millions who perished. Fight against hatred, prejudice, and injustice. Stand up for what is right. Don’t let the darkness win. |
