"The memory of and the truth about the Holocaust of the Jews must persist and remain a warning for all generations to come," Poland's President Andrzej Duda said. Friday (Jan.27) marked the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. "The memory of Holocaust victims is part of our national identity, history of Europe and the world," said Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
"January 27, the International Day in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. The memory of and the truth about the Holocaust of the Jews must persist and remain a warning for all generations to come," president Andrzej Duda said on Twitter.
Every year around 27 January, the world pays tribute to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The date marks the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Soviet troops on 27 January 1945. It was officially proclaimed, in November 2005, International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust by the United Nations General Assembly.
Six million victims
"Six million - this is the number of Holocaust victims. One third of this figure were children. A huge part of those killed in the Shoah were Polish citizens" - Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a Facebook post.
"The memory of Holocaust victims is part of our national identity, history of Europe and the world. A lesson, a symbol, and a symbol. Tolerating totalitarianisms and expansion of imperialisms always end the same way. With tragedies of millions," Morawiecki wrote.
"Today we must stand firm and united against malevolent daemons which are again committing genocide in the east of Europe. Out of respect to the Holocaust victims and with wisdom gained from this tragedy," he underscored.
"Let's not forget that Putin is building more camps in the east. Solidarity and consistent support for Ukraine are effective methods to make sure history does not repeat itself," the prime minister added.
"Our thoughts are with all the victims of this unprecedented German genocide," Poland's Deputy PM and Culture Minister Prof. Piotr Gliński. He added that his ministry was making sure to preserve the memory of the events that had taken place nearly 80 years ago.
Germany's historical responsiblity
Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz spoke about his country's historical responsibility for murdering millions of Jews in the national socialism era. "The suffering of six million innocent murdered Jews have not been forgotten, just like the suffering of the survivors," he said on Twitter.
"On the Holocaust Victims Memorial Day we remind about our historical responsibility," the chancellor stressed.
Zaluzhnyi: the genocide of Ukrainians is taking place again
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi reminded on Friday that the prisoners of the biggest Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, had been liberated by soldiers of the 1st Ukrainian Front.
"We are honoring the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Sharing the pain of the Jewish people and all the victims of the Nazi terror during World War II," Zaluzhnyi wrote on Telegram.
According to the general, the tragedy of Holocaust should have served as a warning to humanity. "Should have served but did not… Today, again at the very heart of Europe, the genocide of Ukrainians is taking place," Zaluzhnyi noted.
Meloni: Shoah represents the abyss of humanity
"The Shoah represents the abyss of humanity. An evil that deeply affected our nation too, with the infamy of the 1938 racial laws," Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said to mark the rememberance day.
"Today, Italy honours the victims, offers sympathy to their loved ones, pays homage to the courage of all the righteous people who risked or lost their lives to save others, and bows to the survivors for their tireless service in sharing their first-hand accounts, she added.
Recollections of the survivors
Eva Umlauf, a former Auschwitz inmate and survivor, said that it was not easy to heal the wounds sustained through persecution, violence, and imprisonment. "Those wounded by Auschwitz know they will always keep what they had gone through inside of them," she said.
"Standing at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial, I listen to news from the war in the east. Russian forces, which liberated us here, are now waging war in Ukraine. Why is that?" - asked former Auschwitz prisoner Zdzisława Włodarczyk.
Place of extermination of Jews
The Germans built the Auschwitz camp in 1940, in order to imprison Poles there. Auschwitz II-Birkenau was built two years later and became the place of extermination of Jews. The whole complex included a network of sub-camps. In Auschwitz, the Germans killed at least 1.1 million people, mainly Jews, but also Poles, the Romani, Soviet POWs, and people of other nationalities.
On January 27, 1945, Red Army soldiers opened the gates of the camp. The prisoners welcomed them as liberators.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP