Auschwitz Survivors Front and Center on 80th Anniversary of its Liberation

It was a day of somber reflection as the world marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27, 2025. This year's event, at the site of the former Nazi death camp in Oswiecim, Poland, centered on the now-elderly survivors who lived to tell a tale of unimaginable atrocities. Conducted on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is largely regarded as one of the last major anniversaries where a considerable number of survivors would be in attendance. ### Honoring the Survivors

Organizers of the observance placed the spotlight on survivors, recognizing their unique role as living witnesses to one of history's darkest chapters. The youngest among them are now in their 80s, and their voices carry an urgency to ensure the memory of the Holocaust endures.
In tribute to the victims, Polish President Andrzej Duda laid a candle at the infamous Death Wall, where prisoners-among them resistance fighters-were executed. He was accompanied by survivors and their families in what was a powerful image of remembrance and resilience.

Stanislaw Zalewski, a Holocaust survivor, together with survivors and dignitaries after laying wreaths. Their presence made them face how serious these atrocities are that the Nazi regime did and how strong the combat against hate is.

A Gathering of Leaders Around the World

It was attended by leaders and dignitaries from the world over. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier were making a historic first for both as a symbol that Germany is never to forget its past. These included, among others, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Britain's King Charles III, besides royalty from Spain, Denmark, and Norway.
The United States sent representatives, including special Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Commerce Secretary nominee Howard Lutnick. Notably absent were Russian officials, reflecting the ongoing international tensions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is Jewish, marked the day with a call for the world to unite against evil and hatred. "We must overcome the hatred that gave rise to the horrors of Auschwitz," Zelenskyy said, calling for global solidarity in the face of ongoing challenges to peace and human rights.

Remembering the Victims

Between 1940 and 1945, Nazi troops murdered 1.1 million people at Auschwitz-most of them Jews. Among those included Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, LGBTQ+ people, and other victims of the Nazi racial program that passed through the camp's gas chambers, its gallows, and in forced labor.
The total number of Jewish victims of the Holocaust reached six million, two-thirds of Europe's Jews and one-third of the world's at the time. In 2005, the United Nations established International Holocaust Remembrance Day to be held annually on January 27 in remembrance of these victims and to help preserve the lessons the Holocaust taught for future generations into the collective global consciousness.

A Warning Against Forgetting

But the silent background to this doleful ceremony was growing far-right extremism and Holocaust denial. German leaders, in particular, hammered home that it is Germany's obligation to remember-and tell future generations-about the true facts of the Holocaust. All the more meaningful is this pledge at a moment in history when revisionism of various kinds is accompanied by resurgence of anti-Semitism in many parts of the world. fib

Forwards

This anniversary was one not only of hindsight but also of reflection for the path forward. The story, increasingly, is being taken up with each new generation as survivors dwindle in number. Education, remembrance, vigilance-these all nurture a conviction that such acts will never be repeated.
The 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz was a poignant reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and unity in the face of hatred. Their stories testify not only to the strength of the survivors but also to what happens when prejudice and tyranny are allowed to go unchecked.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with world leaders at the site of unimaginable suffering, Polish-born Holocaust survivor Stanislaw Zalewski stood as a powerful symbol of hope, resilience, and the enduring imperative to remember.