The 27th January was International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

 

On the 27th January, the world came together to remember the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust during WW2, and the millions of others who suffered during the Nazi reign. We celebrate on this day as it was the day Auschwitz was released and freed. We remember the lives taken to educate others and hopefully prevent future genocides. The Holocaust consisted of brutal killings organised by Germany’s leader during WW2, Adolf Hitler. He believed the ‘Aryan’ race were superior to all other ethnic groups. The Aryan race consisted of people with pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. Hitler wanted the Aryan race to be the only race in Germany, and the other countries he invaded, so made the decision to kill any Jews, Roma’s, Black people, or anyone who didn’t fit his ideal, pure vision of Germans.

 

The Nazi’s began to set up concentration camps, where they could send people to be imprisoned and forced to work. The prisoners were sadly starved, tortured and overworked to death. In 1942 six extermination camps were built with poisonous gas chambers to murder people, the biggest one being Auschwitz. The first camp called Dachau was opened in March 1933 just outside of Munich.

 

The theme of Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 was ‘One Day'. On 26th January Eva Clarke shared her story of the Holocaust via a virtual call that was shared to thousands of schools across the UK. Eva was born in a concentration camp in 1945, just one day before Adolf Hitler committed suicide, due to losing the war. Her mother suffered years in different camps and survived purely down to lucky timings

 

It’s important to remember the lives of those who suffered from the Nazi’s to pass these stories down the generations and keep their memories alive. Sadly this is one of the last generations to hear stories from survivors so we all have to honour and pass on these horrific stories.