Holocaust Memorial Day: 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau
At Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC), we begin 2025 by focusing on Holocaust Memorial Day.
This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and the 30th Anniversary of the Genocide in Bosnia.
Origins of the Holocaust
The Holocaust originated from Hitler’s ideology that Germany’s defeat in World War I and subsequent collapse were due to a racial problem. He claimed that minorities posed a threat to the nation’s “purity”. Hitler and Nazi Germany set out to eliminate all who did not fit their vision of a “pure” society, targeting Jewish people, Romani Gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities and Black people among others.
The Holocaust officially began in 1933, as Nazi Germany influenced its allies across Europe to adopt similar policies. It lasted until the end of World War II in 1945. While spanning more than a decade, the most devastating losses occurred between 1941 and 1945 during a phase the Nazis called The Final Solution.
During this time, Nazi propaganda was used extensively to spread hateful ideologies, isolating minorities and forcing them into ghettos and concentration camps. These actions led to the systematic murder of millions through mass shootings, gas chambers, starvation and other inhumane methods.
The Need for Holocaust Memorial Day
In recent months, antisemitic (anti-Jewish) incidents have risen alarmingly. Between January and June 2024, there were 1,978 reports of anti-Jewish hate, compared to 964 during the same period in 2023. Reports of damage and desecration to Jewish property also surged by 246%, up from 24% in early 2023.
Equally concerning is the rise in Holocaust denial, particularly among younger generations. Many are unaware of the Holocaust or are influenced by misinformation online to question its reality.
Holocaust Memorial Day serves as an essential reminder of these historical atrocities. It honours the lives lost and those affected by the Holocaust, while raising awareness about its history and the lessons we must learn. By reflecting on these events and other genocides, we commit to building a more inclusive and compassionate future.
How to Commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day in 2025
With 2025 marking 80 years since the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and 30 years since the Genocide in Bosnia, this year’s theme is For a Better Future. Holocaust Memorial Day hopes to unite people of different communities to learn from the past to create a better environment for all going forward.
If you would like to do your part for Holocaust Memorial Day, you can get involved in the Take Action for a Better Future project which focuses on the prevention of identity-based persecution and discrimination by encouraging communities to make a difference by reporting hate crimes, volunteering where possible, spreading awareness and even getting creative (see links below for more information)
Useful Links for Further Learning:
- Holocaust Memorial Day Trust | HMD 2025 Theme
- Holocaust Memorial Day Trust | Take action for a better future
- Holocaust Educational Trust – Latest News
- Introduction to the Holocaust: What was the Holocaust? | Holocaust Encyclopedia
- Centre for Holocaust Education – Centre for Holocaust Education
- Arek’s story: Survival in Auschwitz-Birkenau | BBC Teach
SRtRC Education Hub/ Voices resources: