On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we took a visual look at a variety of memorials, museums, and other locations where people gather to remember the victims of the Holocaust.
A Day To “Never Forget”: the Holocaust Remembrance Day
Every year on January 27, the world comes together to remember the six million Jews who perished by the Nazis regime. The day was chosen as International Holocaust Remembrance Day since it was on January 27 that Soviet Union soldiers liberated the Auschwitz concentration camps in 1945.
During World War II, millions of Jews were persecuted and murdered systematically by Nazi Germany in what became known as the Holocaust. At the same time, the systematic murder of at least five million individuals was carried out, including prisoners of war, Romany, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and homosexuals. The original meaning of the word Holocaust may be traced back to the Greek for “burnt offering.”
In November of 2005, the United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 60/7, which established January 27 as the day to commemorate the Holocaust worldwide (IHRD). This day is observed to pay respect to those who perished at the hands of Nazism and expresses support for the creation of educational initiatives to commemorate the Holocaust and discourage the occurrence of future genocides.
In 2006, the United Nations conducted its first official event at its New York City headquarters. Yearly official commemorations have been held annually at UN Headquarters ever since. Events are held by the United Nations and by governments, organizations, and individuals across the world. We looked visually at a variety of memorials, museums, and other places all across the world where people gather to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust for International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
